s 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ,^ 

Shelf .^^.M'^A.. 



UM8TED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A GUIDE 



ro 



FLOEICULTURE; 



CONTAINING 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE YOUNG FLORIST, 

FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MOST POPULAR 
FLOWERS OF THE DAY. 

fiUustratetJ toitf; Otoloretr plates. 



"■O who that has an eye to see, 
An ear to hear, a tongue to bless, 
Can ever undelighted be 
With Nature's maijic loveliness." 






mi}L 



BY t! WINTER 

1881 

CINCINNATf.^**^^S»Sm«c5^ 
DERBY, BRADLEY & CO. 

1847. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, by 

T. WINTER, 

In the Clerk's Office for the District of Ohio. 



E. SHEPARD, 

«TE«BOTTPER AND PRnfTBR| 

No. 11 Columbia Street. 






P KEF ACE. 



In presenting the following pages to the public, I 
consider it incumbent upon me to state the reasons 
which have induced their publication in the present 
form. 

Most of the chapters in this work were written, at 
leisure moments, for a Horticultural Magazine, for- 
merly published in this place. That work having 
been for a long time suspended, many of my female 
friends have solicited me to publish them in the form 
of a book. In compliance with their solicitations I 
have been induced to collect and arrange them, to- 
gether with additional matter, in the hope of thereby 
furnishing a work that might be useful to those am- 
ateur florists who possess more taste for Floriculture 
than knowledge of the principles and practice by 
which it should be directed. I have endeavored, ac- 
cording to the best of my humble ability, to make 
the subject as intelligible, and to present its promi- 
nent principles encumbered with as few difficulties 
or embarrassments, as possible. 



IV PREFACE. 

In getting up this work no expense or trouble has 
been spared, either in the letter-press, the binding, or 
in procuring colored engravings of the highest char- 
acter, to make it suitable, as well for a parlor as a 
pocket, companion. 

A Glossary, carefully compiled from the best bo- 
tanical works, has been added, which, it is believed, 
will be found brief, comprehensive, and well adapted 
to the instruction of the young amateur. 

Not being a professed Botanist, I may have com- 
mitted some errors in the botanical descriptions ; but 
I trust that if it be so, they will be foimd to be of so 
trivial a nature as not materially to impair the value 
of the work. 

Under these circumstances I beg the indulgence of 
my readers, hoping that my humble efforts to facili- 
tate their progress in Floriculture may not be consid- 
ered unworthy of their favorable regard. 



GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE, 



GARDENING. 

" No tale of passion have I to breathe, 
Yet, gentle reader, I fain would wreathe 
A floral garland, whose leaves shall be 
Emblems and tokens of love and thee. 
Flowers!— they bloom by thelowliestcot — 
May they gladden, and brighten, and bless thy Iot.'» 

Gardening is founded on natural philosophy, and the least 
economical principle in its study of course informs the mind 
into the nature and truth of the culture of flowers, and we 
then discover the habit of those plants we wish to cultivate 
with success. Where nature has not endowed the mind 
with a natural taste for the physiological principles of the 
culture of flowers, it is time lost by endeavoring to ac- 
quire it. 

" What then, is taste, but those internal powers, 
Active and strong, and feelingly alive 
To each fine impulse 1 a discerning sense 
Of decent and sublime, with quick disgust 
From things deformed, or disarranged, or gross 
In species ? This, nor gems, nor stores of ffold. 
Nor purple state, nor culture, can bestow : 
But God alone, when first his active hand 
Imprints the sacred bias of the soul." 



6 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Where taste really does exist, there is a manifold plea- 
sure to the mind that serves to preserve the human life 
more essentially than appears to the common observer. 
This may appear strange ; but when we reflect on the sol- 
ace the mind undergoes at leisure moments, even to the 
business man — the evenness created in the temper — the 
pleasurable change he experiences after the pursuit of busi- 
ness — all tend to create in the mind that which it stands 
in need of, a blissful freling^Sinmcentivethat keeps the body 
in health and vigor. The occupancy of Gardening after 
the business of the day is over, if not thus passed, would be 
in luxury or temporary pleasure which would only debili- 
tate the mind and constitution. That part of Gardening 
which relates to the culture of plants is of easy manage- 
ment, and does not require the skill so generally supposed 
or bestowed on them. Many plants are killed by kindness, 
when it should be borne in mind that plants, like the human 
family, require a state of rest, therefore should not be kept 
always in a growing state. For instance, a person deprived 
of his natural rest becomes eventually unfit for his avoca- 
tion ; not only that, he must live regular, or he will never 
be vigorous or of a healthful habit. Plants are living 
things; nature has not endowed them with speech, it is true; 
still, by watching them close, there are certain signs in 
their appearance so apparent that will convince the cultiva- 
tor that, if not treated correct in their habit, a different sys- 
tem must be adopted. Therefore, to come as near nature 
as possible, our understanding should teach us that plants in 
pots should be repotted into fresh soil in their season ; that 
is, when in a state of rest, and be watered only when grow- 
ing, to make them healthy, and the soil should be as near 



GARDENING. J 

that as we can possibly find to suit their natural habit ; by 
doing this we make them healthy, and perform the function 
so desirable in them to flower well. This is the business of 
the amateur to see to, and may be considered their food and 
rest, without which no science in Gardening can prosper. 

Gardening, as amusement, is certainly one of the most 
pleasing recreatJOTis in existence, possessing novelty, and en- 
thusiasm, and is food to the human mind which softens the 
passions, meliorates the understanding, and adds days of 
happiness to that period of our existence which our Maker 
has blessed us -with. The mind is filled with a pleasing 
excitement, even in the attainment of a new plant, thus 
giving to science an opportunity of still increasing those 
pleasures so desirable. The diffusion of a useful knowledge 
in Gardening is also communicative from one person to 
another, making our condition as natural beings, more 
commanding, and developing our ideas as they expand, and 
more influential in the path of life, even to the most humble 
part of vegetable physiology. There has been, in most 
works published, a mystery on the subject of Gardening 
and the propagation of plants ; for why, may it be asked, 
has this dogmatical system predominated so long? This 
cannot be answered unless the whole system has been con- 
fined too much to certain classes of men who, instead of 
endeavoring to create a taste for flowers, have been more 
studious to check floriculture, unmindful, at the same time, 
that the more converts gained to the system of Gardening 
the more plants Avould be sold by them. The knowledge 
of cultivating is now becoming better known ; indeed, the 
whole art is in a state of revolution ; we cannot turn to any 
place but we see some of the most beautiful gems of Flora 



8. A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

almost at every house. This is as it should be ; ladies will 
find a solace to their minds in their leisure hours that could 
not be better employed. 

In regard to gardeners in general, in this country, the 
major part are self-taught : a reflection on this particular 
subject alone ought to encourage those possessing a natural 
taste for the science, that the art is attainable ; this will 
better enable any to cultivate with a prospect of success. 
The Scotch gardeners are considered the best in Europe \ 
we seldom find an English gardener, on his arrival in this 
country, capable of conducting a green-house as it should 
be done. This leads a person to suppose that those exotics 
are only employed in the drudgery of weeding in their na- 
tive country, and when here wish to pass for bojia, fide gai- 
deners ; indeed, most of the experienced English gardeners 
find their knowledge of cultivation in this country deficient, 
as the difference of clime and soil varies materially to what 
they were accustomed to ; but a scientific man will soon 
discover the difference and alter his mode, if not too old in 
his fixed principles or prejudice. 

There are other sciences attached to gardening that 
makes the system more complete, which is understood but 
partially in practice, and not at all in theory. I allude to 
Botany^ that part which relates to plants ; it is a branch 
that ought to be studied, as it leads the mind to a thorough 
knowledge of the distinct species of plants, their properties, 
sexes, order, and indeed the whole system, The ground- 
work of this science leads the mind to a knowledge of ma- 
ny important particulars in relation to flowers. To know- 
how to anatomize flowers is particularly interesting to the 
mind of the cultivator, though not absolutely necessary. 



GARDENING. 



Study begets refinement, is obvious, and knowledge is essen- 
tial to the human mind ; the food thus created begets 
friends who seek for information. Thus we find a pleasure 
in diffusing that usefulness we may attain by a little study. 
There are but few Flmists that are Botanists. This may 
appear strange, but it is an incontrover table fact, when both 
could be studied at leisure moments without interfering with ' 
each other ; and if florists understood the fundamental prin- 
ciples of botany many errors could be corrected that are now 
extant, as the practical botanist is sometimes arbitrary in his 
ruleSj which is out of the power of the florist to correct. -— 
Chemistry is another branch highly essential to the art of 
gardening, which will be understood in a general point of 
view before many years elapse. The farming class will 
find il necessary to know the quality of soil he makes use of 
to ensure success in his department^ as well as the practical 
gardener. It is not my object to crowd the mind of the 
young amateur in the art of Gardening^ or its requisites, for 
it is simple and can be managed without understanding the 
theory of botany or chemistry. I only point out the great 
desideratum of a valuable acquisition to the mind if these 
theories could be attained. Educated to those sciences the 
mind would be elevated above the condition that falls to 
the lot of practical gardeners, and the field of science would 
be open to discover things the mind does not now con- 
template. 



10 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



PLANTS. 

" I have sweet thouglits of thee ! 
They come around me like the voice of song; 
They come Uke birds that in the south belong, 
And wear a gayer wing, and brighter crest, 
Than those tliat on the roof-tree build the nest 
They connte more tender, beautiful, and briglit, 
Than any thoughts that others can excite," 

Plants are divided and known as Annuals, Biennials, 
and Perennials. Annuals are such as flower the first sea- 
son, ripen its seed, and then its functions cease to exist. 
Of this class of flowering plants we have some very beau- 
tiful to decorate the flower garden, at the same time some 
of the most worthless. To point out any particular variety 
would be usurping the pen in a delicate cause, as the mer« 
its of Flora's beauties are as various as people's tastes ; for 
there are no flowers, however humble, but what possess 
some intrinsic beauty ; but the eye that admires one may 
dislike another, and that baneful one may be interesting to 
another person. Annuals are a class of flowers indispensi- 
ble to the flower garden ; their seeds should be sown in 
March and April ; much depends on the season and when 
wanted to flower. Some annuals will not bear removing, 
but the generality should be removed, when small, for seed- 
lings ; the sooner removed, after out of the seed-leaf, the 
better, for when the root-fibres are small the seedlings do 
not feel their removal so sensibly as when large. Then 
again in the arrangement of plants their different colors and 
height must be guided by fancy; but to contrast their col- 



PLANTS. 



11 



ors gives them a pleasing effect. The Balsam, China As- 
ters, Petunias, and many others are suitable for pot culture 
as well as the open ground ; these annuals will always be 
favorites with the lover of good flowers. There are many 
annuals that are climbers: those should be transplanted 
where they will show to the best advantage while in flower. 
There are not less than one thousand annuals in cultivation, 
and the list still increasing; but of late there has not been 
many worthy of cultivation added to them, and if one half 
of the present number were discarded there would be enough 
left then. From the numerous lists published in the cata- 
logues the amateur must judge for himself in his selection, 
and by sowing seeds at different periods would enable him 
to have annuals nearly all the year round. 

Biennials are those that flower the second year, ripen 
their seeds, and then cease to exist. This class of flowers 
are decidedly ornimental and consist of a numerous family, 
still not so extensive as annuals, but generally considered 
more valuable for their exterior beauty and usefulness in 
the flower garden. There are some biennials that flower 
the first year, but generally they do not before the second. 
The biennials do not require their seeds sown so early as 
annuals. Amongst them are many florist flowers which 
may be preserved for years by cuttings or slips from shoots 
that have no flower buds on them. Biennials are divided 
into classes, such as hardy, half hardy, and tender. The 
proper time to sow their seeds, like annuals, will depend on 
circumstances; some so soon as ripe, that is, when they 
flower early, and seed ripens in the early part of July, such 
as the Sweet William, and a few others. The general 
sowing should be in April and May ; when of sufficient 



12 A GUIDE TO rLOiUCULTUEE. 

size transplanted out to gain strength, and the tender varie- 
ties should he potted off in September and housed before the 
frost sets in ; the next season some of the choicest may be 
increased by cuttings and slips. Biennialsj as well as other 
plants require a good rich loam. 

Perennials. — In regard to this class of flowers they are 
obtained from seed the same as the two former, will never 
flower until the second year, but instead of ceasing to exist 
ds soon as done flowering, generally increase at the root, 
thus making a perpetual flowering plant. Many suppose 
that the perennial sends up the same stem every season ; 
this is not the case ; the old stem ceases to exist, this gives 
room for the increase of the root at a more or less given 
distance from the original stem ; and this freak of nature 
makes it easily divided and constitutes a perpetual plant. 
Perennials are divided into two classes, herbaceous and 
shrubby ; the first may be divided again into bulbous, tu- 
berous, and fibrous. The process of increasing them dif- 
fers materially ; the bulbous by offsets and seeds, shrubby 
by cuttingSj seeds, layerings, and slips. The herbaceous 
perennial bulbs include our favorites, such as the Tulip, 
Crown Imperial, Hyacinth, LilieF^ Crocuses, &-c. These 
should be taken up e-^-ery season when the foliage dies 
down, and be replanted again in another part of the garden 
between the months of August and December. The tube- 
rous perennials compose our finest collections of plants; 
some should be removed every season, while others should 
te allowed to remain three years. The Phloxs, Lupins, 
Asters, Peonies, and many others should be divided every 
three years, as the nature of the plants will indicate bytheii 
growth and disposition, and planted it. ;'ituations corres- 



PLANTS. 



H 



ponding to their natural habit, in season of blooming, &c., 
the tallest in the back ground, and endeavor to make them 
contrast in color and be as much diversified as possible. 
It is the practice of many to flower bulbs by themselves, 
such as the Tulip, Hyacinth, <fcc. ; this is certainly a good 
plan when the collection is large. Bulbs show to good ad- 
vantage in the border with other plants, but when inter- 
spersed with other flowers cannot be always removed when 
required without disturbing other plants ; when this is the 
case it would be best to top-dress the border and let th&oci 
remain two or three years, and they will flower well and 
cause but little trouble, and be still ornamental. Hardy 
shrubby perennials do not die down, but retain their habit, 
and many varieties their leaves; these are called ever- 
greens, and are propagated by seeds, and some few by lay- 
ering. The double flowering herbaceous perennials w^ill 
not seed freely and must be increased by cuttings or divid- 
ing the root in the fall. Fibrous rooted, such as the Car- 
nation and its tribe, more by layering than by seed, and 
sometimes by cuttings and slips. Take the perennials in 
general they merit more care than is generally bestowed on 
them, being easily managed (with the exception of some 
exotics), and propagated, affording us some of the most mag- 
nificent flowers in cultivation. If the perennials do not 
flower from seed the first season that should be no draw- 
back, we should bear it in mind that when once flowered 
we may consider them perpetual, and those hardy require 
little or no care afterward, which is a great desideratum in 
a large or small garden, when time is an object to a business 
person. 



14 A GDIDE TO FLORIOULTOEE. 



THE HOT-BED. 

*♦ Think'st thou to be concealed, thou little seed 

That in the bosom of the earth art cast, 
And there, like cradled infant, sleep'st awhile, 

Unmoved by trampling storm or thunder blast? 
Thou bid^st thy time ; for herald Spring shall come 

And wake tliee, all unwilling as thou art, 
Unhood thine eyes, unfold thy clasping sheath, 

And stir the languid pulses of thy heart; 
The loving rains shall woo thee, and the dews 

Weep o'er thy bed, and e're thou art aware 
Forth steals the tender leaf, the wiry stem, 

The trembling bud, the flower that scents the air, 
And soon, to all, the ripened fruitage tells 

The evil or the good that in nature dwells." 

The hot-bed is necessary sometimes to force seeds and 
plants early in the sprinsf ; tliis plan is seldom resorted to 
by the amateur, as it requires some experience in the man- 
agement. It may not be the good fortune of lovers of 
choice flowers to li^e in a city where market gardeners re- 
side that are in the habit of making hot-beds annually ; it 
will be necessary to give some directions on the subject. 
To those living in a city more practical knowledge may be 
gleaned by seeing one made than could be gained by pre- 
cept. However, to those wishing to make a hot-bed it will 
be necessary to provide a cart-load of fresh manure from a 
stable ; nearly one half should be straw and hay, what ia 
commonly called long litter by gardeners ; the whole should 
be laid in a heap for about a week to ferment, and must be 
protected from rain ; then turn it over, the next day the 



THE HOT-BED, 15 

same, shaking it well so as to mix the outside with the 
other ; on the third day the manure will be fit to proceed 
with, the manure having exhausted all the rank heat cre« 
ated in the fermentation ; this is termed mellowirg^ and pre- 
vents the liability of burning the plants. One load will be 
quite enough for a frame three feet by four. 

In forming the bed it will be necessary to drive a stake 
to form each corner, the size of the bed which should be 
live feet by six, this would be one foot wider than your 
frame every way. The outlines being formed, commence 
laying on the manure in layers, shaking and mixing it well 
with the litter as you proceed, and beating it down with 
the fork evenly, so that the top will be perfectly level; when 
your bed is complete, it will be about three feet high; then 
take your frame and place it in the middle, and lay manure 
all round the frame to near the top, to do which you must 
reserve enough for the purpose ; the object of this is to cre- 
ate all the warmth possible inside of the frame ; then put on 
the sash, and when you discover the heat arise, which will 
be exemplified by the steam on the glass, begin to lay on 
the earth in the frame to the depth of four inches, observing 
that the soil be not wet, or your bed may receive too great 
a check to answer your purpose, and not return again. 
This done you can sow your seeds in the soil or pans made 
for the purpose ; pans are more desirable as no risk will be 
run in having your seedlings burnt, as the pans can be 
placed on top of the soil, and as the heat begins to subside 
the pans can be sunk to the rims. The heat of a hot-bed 
should not exceed 60 Fahrenheit for flower seeds. It will 
be necessary to examine the degree of heat in the morning. 
if higher than 60 the sash must be raised a little to give 



16 A GTTIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

vent to the surplus steam to prevent accident. In the day- 
time it may be necessary to shade the young plants or give 
air when the heat of the sun is great, as your bed must be 
due south for the benefit of the morning sun, and a dry sit- 
uation is requisite. The glass must be covered with boards 
or mats at night to keep out the frost ; in three weeks the 
heat of the bed will be diminished ; then take away the 
manure round the sides of the frame and replace it with 
fresh ; this will renev/ the heat for some time longer '; or 
you can make another bed alongside ; by doing so consid- 
erable heat will be conveyed into the first, thus receiving 
the benefit and use of two frames if necessaiy. Unless the 
amateur has had some experience in flowers it would be 
advisable to make a hot-bed of tanners bark, which can be 
done in the following manner. Sink a frame in the ground 
about three feet, then procure a load of fresh tanners bark, 
which should be put under a shed and be turned over often 
until dry, then fill the pit to within six inches of the top for 
seed, which must be sown in pans, which should be sunk to 
the rim ; then place the glass over and manage the same as 
the other hot-bed. There will be no danger of burning the 
plants, as the heat arising from the bark is gentle and will 
last much longer than one made of stable manure. Plants 
that require bottom heat to start them must be so managed 
as not to interfere with the glass, or the steam and sun will 
disfigure them. 



SEED-SOWING. 17 



SEED-SOWING. 

*'Come» ye soft sylphs! wha sport on Latian land, 
Come, sweet-lipped Zephyr, and Favoneous bland, 
Touch the fine seed, instinct with life, to shoot 
On earth's cold bosom its descending root; 
With pith elastic stretch its rising sterh ; 
Part the twin lobes, expand the throbbing germ, 
Clasp in your airy arms the aspiring plume, 
Fan with your balmy breath its kindling bloom. 
Each widening scale and bursting film unfold, 
Swell tlie green cup, and tint the flower with gold ; 
Wliile in bright veins the silvery sap ascends, 
And refluent blood in milky eddies bends ; 
While spread in air the leaves respiring play. 
Or drink the golden quintessence of day." 

This operation is generally performed early in the spring, 
and it is absolutely necessary, in the first place to prepare 
the ground to njake it suitable for their reception, in doing 
which it should be observed that in turning up the soil in 
the spring for that purpose, never dig but half spade deep, 
for the soil in the spring is cold, and for that purpose is deep 
enough ; if d.eeper it would have a tendency to chill and 
rot your seed. That part of the soil turned up should be 
well pulverized to encourage their growth ; another ihing, 
neither should the soil be too dry or too moist, the one be- 
ing as detrimental as the other ; though if dry could in 
some measure be counterbalanced with the watering-pot. 
The state of the soil will depend in a great measure on the 
time ; if early it is most likely to be damp. If the soil be 
dry after sowing the seed, give it a gentle watering to pre- 

2 



18 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE, 

vent the wind separating- the seed from, the soil, which will 
happen sometimes without this precaution. If the soil he 
damp nothing more is required than lightly covering the 
seed by raking the soil over them. 

The depth required for seeds depend on the size ; some 
are so minute that to cover them they would never com e up, 
probably rot, while some would lie dormant for years, until 
turned up to near the surface, and then germinate. In 
sowing seeds they should be watered sparingly, for if the 
seeds be old, which is often the case, you will rot them ; 
therefore it is necessary to be cautious in the use of that 
element To water see4 often with the view to make them 
come up quick, which is often done, is not judicious ; it is 
the best, generally, that is the longest in germinating ; we 
find this to be the case with the Auricula, and most 
double varieties, the Balsam for instance. The first and 
early seeds that germinate are the strongest, however desir- 
able at the time, generally prove the most indifi^erent flow- 
ers, and in most cases single. Those that have been in the 
habit of sowing and raising seedlings must observe this, and 
"v^ill give their friends the best and strongest plants. There 
does not appear so much advantage gained in early sowing 
of garden flower seeds as is attributed to it, for those sown 
the middle of March will flower about the same time as 
those sown two weeks earlier, unless forced and kept in the 
hot-bed; those sown early in the open ground are often <?ut 
off in the seed leaf by the early frost, which is the most 
precarious time for seedlings. 

There are many annuals that do best if the seed be sown 
in the fall and slightly protected through the winter, such 
as Phlox Drummondii, Rocket Larkspur, Flos Adonis, 



SEED-SOWING. 19 

Calliopsis, and many others. If a person has the conven- 
ience of a pit or frame to protect them the advantage would 
be great ; stronger plants, larger flowers, and better seeds 
would be the result For those that prefer sowing early 
seed it would be a good plan to have a box made for the- 
purpose, to be covered with glass ; a light 8 by 10 would 
be a good size, and would protect seedlings from all danger 
of being cut off by early frost; or the seed may be sown in 
pots and be covered with glass, though this plan would bo 
more troublesome than the box. There are some seedlings 
that will not bear removing very well ; we see this in the 
Poppy tribe ; such should not be sown before the last of 
March, and then where intended to flower. 

It must be obvioas that planting seed in the ground must 
be preferable, and covering them with a small frame with 
glass, for less attention will be required ; and if the spring 
should be wet it would more likely save them from rotting, 
which, if fully exposed, would be the case ; or if a -dry 
spring, would receive much nourishment from the ground. 
Sow some seed the beginning of March, and again the mid- 
dle ; by this means you may save a few plants of each, or 
if those sown first fail, the latter may succeed. Annuals 
generally do not require to be covered deep, excepting the 
large kinds, such as the Lupin, Pea, &c. ; if sown near the 
surface, the soil being warm and receiving the direct rays 
of the sun, will more essentially assist the seeds to germi- 
nate, for light and due moisture is necessary to their growth } 
andif too deep, it deprives them of the fundamental princi- 
ples necessary to make them living plants. A seedling 
that has forced its way through deep soil is naturally weak- 
•jened, consequently more likely to be destroyed by early 



20 A GUIPJ3 TO FI^OB-IUULTURE, 

frost than if near the surface. After a plant is out of the 
seed leaf it '.vill withstand a heavy frost ; this is one impor- 
tant fact and to be observed until plants are safe. Plants 
are frequently raised in hot-beds ; this is generally done 
when the amateur has gained experience, and then is adopt- 
ed only to bring forward choice seeds or scarce plants. 
When your seedlings are ready for transplanting the soil 
will be in a fit state to dig one spade deep, which should be 
done to enable the root-fibres to find their way into the 
ground. 

To force seed a solution of iodine^ chlorine^ 4'c., is gene- 
rally considered good for that purpose when difficult to veg- 
etate. To make a solution of one sixt j eth part of water to 
chlorine of lime to steep the seed in, will certainly accele- 
rate their growth. Half an ounce of muriaie of ammonia to 
one gallon of water, and applied to seed sown every sixth 
time of watering, will make them germinate very quick; 
by such chemical stimuli many valuable seeds are made to 
grow, and some of the finest plants may be obtained by this 
means, as the best seeds are so difficult to germinate, par- 
ticularly as the seed pods producing double flowers are 
generally supposed to be diseased. 

Light is another agency necessary in the germination 
and health of seeds and plants, though not in the earliest 
stage ; if seedlings drawn up are sickly can it be expected 
that they will produce good flowers ? certainly not ! It is 
only advisable to force such seeds as are difficult, and the 
forcing agencies to be used should be applied with caution. 
Then again it will be found that covering seeds with glass 
has a tendency to force them; the color of the glass is 
also another powerful agency in stimulating them ; purple 



SEED-SOWING. 21 

ind violet are the test colors. This will also apply to cut- 
tings ; a bell glass of either color is preferable to white, for 
the light forced through the prism is separated into differ- 
ent colors, and experience has proven that glass possesses 
the most powerful chemical action in promoting seed to 
germinate. As I said before, in the first stage of germina- 
tion, light is not so essential, though if sown too deep of 
course the light is too much excluded and the necessar}"- 
nourishment is exhausted before the seed could reach the 
light ; therefore deprives the function so essential from per- 
forming the development of leaves, which are indispens ible 
to the production of roots, and often perish or remain dor- 
mant ; turning over the ground often brings the seed with- 
in the desired range, and the pumuli ascending reaches the 
light and germination takes place — growth is best promot- 
ed when covered with glass. The influence of light and 
moisture then preserves uniformity more congenial. 

M. Chevreal, a French chemist, has demonstrated many 
interesting facts in regard to colors contrasted and their ef- 
fects. There has been some experiments made in England 
in regard to colored glass, and it is proven there that violet 
and blue are called chemical rays ; green and yellow, lu- 
minous ; red, caloric or heating rays. The illustrations are 
not exactly correct. Light penetrating through colored 
glass partakes, in some respect, of the character of the rays 
corresponding with the colors of the glass ; as blue admits 
of the chemical rays to the exclusion of nearly all others ; 
yellow admits only the permeate of the luminous rays; 
that red glass cuts the rays of heat which passes freely. By 
this means it appears that plants could be raised under al- 
most any light wished for ; while j^ellow and red are de- 



22' A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

structive to germination, for instance, if a pan ol seeds bo 
sown and covered with glass, one half with red and yellow 
laid one on the other the seed would not germinate, while 
the other half being covered with violet the seed would ger- 
minate quick ; reverse the glass and the result would be the 
seed would come up, and those up on the other half would 
cease to grow. This in some measure corresponds with 
seeds sown on -the surface and exposed to the sun will not 
vegetate, for a portion of the suD-light which produces the 
organs of light diffusing its warmth, is destructive to the 
first process of the vegetation of seed, but if removed into 
the shade or darkened vegetation then commences. These 
experiments are worthy of notice, and may prove of use to 
those fond of experiments. It was attributed to Mr. Hunt 
as the first person that tried these experiments on the ger- 
mination of seeds with colored glass, in 1840. I find the 
late Dr. Morechini, of Rome, made the same in 1838. The 
late professor of Botany is entitled to the credit of his re- 
searches. 



TRANSPIANTING. 

Transplanting is the art of removing seedlings from the 
nursery-bed into the open ground ; this operation is easier 
effected in the spring than at any other time through the 
year, as the spongiolis of seedlings will strike fresh root 
easier. Transplanting should be done after a shower or in 
a cloudy day towards evening, and great care should be 



TRANSPLANTING. 23 

taken in removing them to take with them as much soil as 
will adhere to the roots ; then make a hole to receive the 
plant, place it in, pouring some w^ater to wash the fibres 
down, then close the hole round the plant ; by adopting 
this plan, instead of watering after, as formerly done, the 
plant does not feel so great a check. It is almost impossi- 
ble to transplant without doing some little injury ; this will 
be clearly seen by their drooping appearance for several 
days after removal ; then a reaction takes place, and the 
plants become vigorous and need no more attention. Some- 
times plants removed will require shading when the weath- 
er becomes warm and dry ; to counterbalance this drawback 
the plants must also be watered every evening until suffi- 
ciently recovered. Balsams, China Asters, and a few other 
fall flowering plants do best planted into thumb (one and a 
half inch) pots and kept in the shade until well established, 
and then transplanted into the open ground without diffi- 
culty in the driest weather, for when the weather is dry 
seedlings become too large to remove, by waiting for moist 
weather their spongioles wnll be so abundant and large as 
to endanger their removal ; but if placed, when small, into 
small pots and kept in the shade, these difficulties would be 
avoided. When about to remove seedlings observe never 
to replant them deeper in the ground than they were in the 
nursery-bed- It is a common practice, when plants are 
drawn up through bad management, to place them deeper 
for appearance sa]i:e ; but following two wrong courses will 
still make it worse. Plants generally establish themselves 
the regular way in the ground, and in transplanting this 
should be borne in mind ; if drawn up they will do better 
replanted in conformity to their growth, and do better than 



24 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

if planted deeper for the sake of appearance. Young plants 
the sooner removed the better after out of the seed leaf, pro- 
vided the weather be favorable. Seeds will keep several 
years with care, with some exceptions. The China Aster 
will not keep well over one year ; the vitality of most, if 
kept dry, will germinate in due season, unless the weather 
should be such as to place it beyond the control of the ama- 
teur ; but his assiduity will do much in. assisting nature in 
her developments. 



MANUEING AND POTTING. 

There appears to be a great diversity of opinion on the 
subject of manuring ; to point out the existing difference 
would only perplex the amateur in his operations in flori- 
culture ; indeed, it would take an experienced chemist to 
elucidate the subject thoroughly. The Word manure ia 
generally applied to what is taken from stables, whether 
horse or cow excrements, mixed with straw and other litter ; 
such is not always the case. Manure, in gardening, is 
meant to convey the idea to enrich and fertilize the soil in 
the garden ; still it must be observed what is food for one 
kind of soil is not so for another ; therefore there is a great 
difference in manure. If the soil be a marl then the ap- 
plication of sand would constitute a manure to make it fri- 
able, that is, suitable to receive plants. There are other 
kinds that would make the soil useful,, which none but a 
chemist can tell by analyzing it. Horse and cow manures 



MANUEING AND POTTING. 25 

fire good stimulants for the growth of plants in common 
garden soil, but in no case should it be used unless three 
years old, or your soil will be filled with weeds. To ma- 
nure a garden will require some judgment ; to manure the 
same soil every season is as bad as no manure at all ; chano-- 
ing the crop is preferable, as some seed will deteriorate 
more than others ; for instance the Rocket Larkspur never 
ought to be sown in the same bed two seasons in succession. 
It will frequently happen by over manuring the garden the 
soil becomes black, and many suppose the soil extremely 
rich when it is the reverse ; so much manure being laid on 
the soil the water becomes saturated in the soil as to make 
it so sterile that plants cannot exist in it. When such is 
the case it will be necessary to use lime as a manure to 
counteract the humic acid contained in the soil, caused by 
the superfluous use of the stable manure. Manure from the 
stable should never be used with lime, as one destroys the 
effect of the other, nor until it has been regularlyfermented. 

Stable manure is required more plentifully for pot cult- 
ure, as the frequent watering of the plants in pots will nat- 
urally wash the substance from the plants ; the frequent 
watering of pot plants also makes it indispensi ble to shift 
the soil often ; this is termed repotting which is performed 
once or twice a year, and the best time to effect this is 
spring and fall, and the best soil for that purpose is a maid- 
en soil. This is a term used by gardeners, and can be ob- 
tained from the commons or old meadows by taking off the. 
turf, then dig three or four inches below ; this will const;* 
tute maiden soil, and if inclined to clay add a small portion 
of sand. 

Some plants require a richer soil than others : when that 
3 



26 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUilE. 

is the case the addition of old cow manure will do. Differ- 
ent locations will make a difference in soil, also in growth 
of plants ; aod in potting plants where you find the soil stiff 
and binding, always add sand to correct that fault. There 
are different soils used by gardeners, such as peat earth, a 
vegetable matter decayed, and can be passed through a 
sieve. Peat bog is such as generally is found in swamps. 
Sandy loam is loam with a portion of sand in it, and is what 
is mostly used for general culture. Sandy soil is effected 
by adding more sand to the sandy loam. Vegetable 
mould is decayed vegetables and weeds collected in the gar- 
den, and thrown in a heap to rot for three years. Garden 
mould or loam is such as does not contain any sand. Clay 
soil is not good unless you mix different manures to make 
it friable, and then not good for pot plants. Leaf mould is 
composed entirely of decayed leaves, and when mixed with 
sand is a most excellent soil for pot culture. 

In polling plants it is essential in all cases to have a good 
drainage by placing one inch (much depends On the size of 
the pot) of pieces of broken pots or small pieces of brick at 
the bottom to prevent any deleterious effects to the plants if 
over-watered. In potting plants never over-pot, that is, 
never place a plant in a pot that is too large ; a small pot 
will force more flowers from a plant than a large one. It 
frequently occurs in pot plants that roots and suckers will 
rise from the soil, run some distance and root again. It 
must not be infered that this arises from the plant being in 
too small a pot ; for instance the Achimenes and Chrysan. 
themum. The general supposition is, the soil being dete- 
riorated the roots rise to seek nourishment, and when it is 
attained will strike root again. We have an every d.av oc 



MANURING AND POTTING. 27 

cttrrence of this in the garden rose, which, if allowed to re- 
main in one place many years, will shove their suckers some 
distance ; the original tree for want of nourishment, the soil 
being exhausted, will perish ; and so it v/ill be found with 
pot plants if the soil be not changed by some chemical pro- 
cess, and that generally is effected by manure. When the 
soil is congenial to plants the nutricious sap accumulates, 
and the plant grows vigorously so long as there remains a 
sufficiency of food in the soil ; but when exhausted we find 
the plant using its functions to escape from its deleterious 
soil if that be impossible, and if not repotted the conse- 
quence will be death, for the leaves cannot imbibe the gas- 
es of the surrounding atmosphere when the roots are sickly, 
as the one is dependent on the other. 



CUTTINGS, &C. 

This is an easy w^ay of propagating the different varieties 
of our fine and most beautiful species of plants that decorate 
the parlor. There are different methods of striking cut- 
tings, and different seasons that are more congenial for that 
accomplishment. It is not material which way the object 
be obtained so long as the ultimatum be gained. Some 
propagators will adhere to the system they have found suc- 
cessful. However, as my object is to instruct the young 
amateur, I will not discuss this or that system, but exhibit 
to their comprehension as simple a plan as possible, although 
not a new one. It will be found in experience that succU' 



28 A GUIDE TO FLOmClTLTURE. 

lent plants are the most easy to strike root ; the harder the 
wood the more difficult. In striking cuttings one thing 
must be adhered to, as much depends on the manner of pre* 
paring the cuttings ; for unless cut close to the joint there 
is not much dependence to be placed in the success of the 
undertaking, for the bud that you cut close to, when insert- 
ed in the soil, attracts fluid which it feeds on ; this elon- 
gates downward and becomes roots, for it is necessary by 
nature it should be so before the plant can be established; 
thus making a perfect plant, the same as the parent from 
which the cutting was taken. As the roots become set, the 
cutting sends forth branches, then the root and leaf become 
mutually dependent upon each other for support and life. 
The time of taking cuttings is from early spring till fall ; dif- 
ferent plants require their proper time for propagation ; for 
instance, the best month for the Rose is June, when the young 
wood is sufficiently ripe ; herbaceous plants as soon as done 
flowering, though for some it will be necessary to take their 
flower stems before developing the flowers. It would oc* 
cupy too much space to specify the proper time for all the 
varieties ; but each treatise of this work v/ill exhibit enough 
for any beginner to commence v/ith, leaving the balance to 
his own experience. 

The best way to strike cuttings of hard wooded shrubs is 
to procure a box or pan about twelve inches across and the 
same in depth ; then get another about four inches without a 
hole in the bottom, which may be easily obtained of a potter ; 
placing part of a brick in the larger to keep the smaller one 
on a level with it in the centre, then fill the vacancy with 
fine leaf mould and sand in equal parts, well incorporated ; 
this done, insert the cuttings up to the second joint, close to 



CUTTINGS. 29 

the small pot ; be particular that the bottom of the cuttings 
comes in contact with the sides, for cuttings of every descrip- 
tion will strike root more readily by the side than if planted 
in the middle of the soil. When your cuttings are all in, 
fill the small pot with water, which, if kept full, will suffi- 
ciently feed the cuttings without watering in any other way, 
and they will not be killed by too much moisture. In the 
usual method of setting cuttings in the soil, and watering 
them, they are very apt to be killed by over moisture ; but to 
set them in the manner recommended, and covering them 
with a bell glass, which should be taken off occasionally for 
a short time, too great a degree of dampness would be pre- 
vented, and your cuttings would generally thrive. It is re- 
quisite in setting cuttings of any description to keep them 
shaded from the sun ; and in the fall when they have 
taken sufficient root, which can be ascertained by lifting the 
small pot, they should be potted off into two inch pots, with 
a rich sandy loam, and remain in them until the following 
spring. 

Succulent plants being easier raised by cuttings, may bo 
set in the following way : — get a pot or box like the one 
above recommended, and fill it with a composition of leaf 
mould and sand, then gently water it ; take a bell glass and 
mark its size by pressing it on the soil, then set the cuttings 
up to the middle joint, having previously prepared them the 
same as recommended for hard wooded cuttings, then gently 
water the whole to settle the soil round them ; when the 
leaves are dry put on the glass. Whenever you water cut- 
tings, be sure and never cover them while the leaves are 
wet if you wish to succeed. When you find cuttings be- 
gin to grow, then begin to admit air to harden them. In 



30 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Striking cuttings that are more difficult than others, resource 
should be had to the bark bed. Experience will teach 
more on that SAibject than I could explain in any treatise . 

Budding. — The difference between buddii^g and striking 
by cuttings in one respect amounts to one thing the increase 
of desirable plants ; the on>e conveys the roots to the ground, 
while the other is essentially employed in engrafting itself 
by uniting to the stem of another, and all action of atmos- 
pheric air must be excluded to ensure success ; to accom- 
plish this, it will be necessary to examine the bark when it 
parts freely, which is about July or August, which is the 
time tO: perform the operation. 

The best stock to bud the Rose on is the Boursalt ; when 
ready to perform the operation, cut the bark across and 
dowa in the shape of T, with a budding knife, then lay it 
open from the cre^s down, separating the bark from the 
wood with as much ease as possible ; then take the bud in- 
tended to be inserted which must be cut about a quarter of 
an inch above and bdov/ the axle of th'C leaf through a por- 
tion of the wood, which must be separated from the bark, 
and inserted in the part separated, commencing at the cross 
and slipped down as far as possible, between the bark, with- 
out injuring the leaf bud, then take a piece of bass matting 
about a quarter of an inch wide, previously dipped into wa- 
ter to strengthen it, and bind the wound close, leaving the 
eye only exposed,, and in six weeks, if the bud has taken, 
slacken the bandage a little and cut the stalk off within two 
eyes of the bud ; by this means the inserted bud will receive 
enough sap tO; k«ep it in a living condition until spring. 
When the buid begins to puish,. cut off the halaiice above 



CUTTINGS. 31 

the bud. Budding is preferable to grafting for the Rose, 
and is much practised by Florists, as every eye will make 
a tree; by this process the most scarce species of the Rose 
may be propagated faster than by any other method, and 
sent to all parts of the world. It will also be found by ex- 
perience that some varieties of the Rose succeed better by 
being budded on another stock than on its own ; we have 
an instance of this in the white Bath Moss and the yellow 
Persian Rose. 



WATERING OF PLANTS. 

Watering of plants is one of the most essential operations 
to be performed, and easily done ; but being doriC correctly 
is quite another thing, for to water plants correctly is one of 
the principal means of invigorating them, and lies at the 
foundation of their health. From the manner some plants 
are watered it is a wonder they are kept alive j they can 
exhibit from one year's end to another but a very meagre 
appearance. Pot plants (plants cultivated in pots) should 
never be kept in a saucer unless the object be to keep the 
surplus water from the carpet or the floor ; but it frequently 
occurs that when kept in saucers they are watered by that 
means ; such a plan should not be adopted unless the plant 
be a swamp plant, like the Hydrangea Calla sethiopica, &c. ; 
though there are times when some plants will admit of such 
a course it will require experience for its successful practice. 
j In watering plants we should imitate nature as closely 



32 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

as possible. In the first place we should never use cold 
water, as it is injurious. After a warm shower we can 
plainly perceive the vigor imparted to plants, a circum- 
stance not noticeable after a cold rain. In the summer wa 
ter should be allowed to stand all day in a tub, and warmed 
by the sun. It must not be supposed that because a hu- 
man being feels refreshed in summer by the use of cold 
water, that plants derive the same benefit from the use of 
cold well or cistern water, for a human being has means of 
exercise, therefore does not feel any ill effects ; but plants 
are not endowed with such faculties, and therefore suffer 
from the use of water in a cold state. Therefore water 
^iven to plants in summer should be as warm as the soil 
and atmosphere, or rather warmer than otherwise. Rain, 
when falling in the summer, if cool, changes the air and 
soil to a correspondmg temperature ; this is natural. In the 
winter such plants as stand in need of water should have it 
applied sparingly, and the chill should be taken off previoaa 
to using it. In the next place it should be observed that 
t>ur Maker has sent refreshing showers for the benefit of 
plants as well as ourselves, therefore we ought to imitate 
him in watering plants, by applying it at the top of the pot, 
and never at the saucer ; for if he deemed it best, he in his 
infinite wisdom., would have provided it at the bottom of 
the roots, to ascend instead of descending. 

In watering plants in pots we have to be more profuse 
than rain, for plants in the ground receive some moisture 
at the roots, and consequently do not need so much as if in 
the pot. To supply this deficiency we have to resort to 
artificial means, or they would perish by being circum- 
scribed within so small a compass, without means of ob- 



WATERING OF PLANTS.. 33 

taining and retaining- of moisture to support them through 
the warm summer. How much water plants in pots will 
require depends on the weather, season, and nature of the 
plants. In the summer every day ; spring and fall not so 
often ; December and Jan"uary little or none ; for at that 
season plants, generally speaking-, are not in a growing 
state. If the room where the plants are kept be dry and 
warm, a little may be used to advantage ; still it should be 
remembered that plants may be gorged at all seasons ; this 
may be avoided in some measure by giving the plants a 
good drainage when potted. It is the nature of some plants 
to require more water than others ; this will be easily dis- 
covered, when plants are in a growing state, by the soil at 
the top of the pot drying up faster than others. 

The Camellia Japonica in the winter require much water 
to make their flower buds swell and expand ; h must not 
be supposed because that plant requires a plentiful sup- 
ply, that others want as much. The Cacti family, if wa- 
tered much in the winter, will soon perish • but in its grow- 
ing season must have its due portion. Plants when in full 
growth should never be watered close to the stem or collar . 
the object is to have the water first reach the roots that ex- 
tend to the sides of the pot. Many tender exotic plants 
have been killed by frequently watering the collar of the 
plant, as the watering from a water pot is not so gentle as 
rain; therefore more likely to be injurious. 

Liquid manure is sometimes used in watering plants, but 
is dangerous to most varieties, unless used by a skillful gar- 
dener ; it should never be used by the amateur. In early- 
spring and fall, as also the winter, the morning is the best 
time to water plants, but in summer the evening. To wa- 



34 A GTUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

ter plants and their leaves^when the sun*'s rays are upon 
them, is injurious (the Chrysanthemum heing an excep- 
tion) ; it may be said that the sun shines and it rains at the 
same time ; that is true, but when that is the case the at- 
mosphere is changed at the same timCj and thus nature 
counteracts its ill effects .; but with the water pot a corres- 
pondiag change in the atmosphere cannot be effected, con- 
sequently your plants will blister, and be spotted, which 
proves that watering in the evening is most congenial, and 
the spongioses of the roots are better prepared to receive the 
nourishment. 

Another custom to be condemned in persons having plants 
is, their frequently putting them out in the rain during the 
winter months ; this should never be dane for the reason 
that cold rain not being beneficial the water becomes stag- 
nantjsour and rots the roots, for unless the plants be growing 
it is impossible for them to imbibe the moisture, let the sea- 
son be what it may, the plants are unable to discharge the 
surplus at the leaves, the plant becomes sickly and dies, and 
people are unable to account for the cause, not supposing 
their own anxiety and kindness had destroyed them. More 
plants are killed by over watering than for the want of ity 
therefore due caution should be exercised by all beginners 
in the use of that element. 



GENERAL TREATMENT OP PLANTS. 35 



GENERAL TREATMENT OF PLANTS. 

To gire a concise direction for the management of all 
plants in general cultivation would be extending this arti- 
cle beyond proper limits, and be too prolix in the detail to 
make it interesting. I shall therefore confine myself to but 
few plants which will apply more or less to others. 

In the spring plants can never be placed out of doors 
with safety before May ; even then we are sometimes visit- 
ed by frost which may do incalculable injury ; it is better 
to err on the safe side than lose valuable plaints. If not 
placed out of doors before that time, the plants should have 
the benefit of fresh air on all favorable occasions. The 
Rose is probably one of the most hardy pot plants in culti- 
vation, will bear considerable frost, and may, to save trou- 
ble, be planted in the open ground in March and sustain no 
injury, and be potted off in October and brought into the 
house. But that management never would suit the Gera- 
nium, which should never be placed out before May. The 
fine varieties are hybrids and very tender in their nature as 
well as delicate, and will not bear the least frost. Those 
that have duplicate plants would do as well to plant one in 
the ground ; by that treatment they will frequently flower 
again in the fall, and may then be cut down, potted, and 
brought into the house about the fifteenth of September. 
In placing this plant (Geranium) out of doors it will be ne- 
cessary to water the ground at times with lime water, to 
kill the worms, or they will find their way into the pots 
and do considerable injury to the plants. The pi* is not a 



S6 A GUIDE TO FLOPJCULTUEIE. 

good plg.ce in which to winter the hybrid variety of this 
beautiful tribe of flowers, as those plants like a dry room or 
green-house rather than a damp place. 

The heat of the room is the best criterion by which to 
judge when plants should be watered. Plants should be 
kept clean by destroying the green fly, and free of dead 
leaves. In summer no plant should be allowed to suffer for 
want of water. There are some succulent plants that should 
never be placed to receive the heavy rains in the summer, 
the Cacti tribe for instance ; but plants of this description 
are but few. The Camellia does not like excess of heat, and 
when placed out of doors in May, should be in the shade 
only ; as the leaves are likely to be infested with the red 
spider they should be syringed with clean water every even- 
ing through the summer, and when the flower buds are 
forming must be watered regularly ; for if the roots are al- 
lowed to become dry it will cause their buds to drop off' on 
the application of water, or being watered too freely at any 
time will produce the same injury. This evil may in some 
measure be avoided in potting plants by a good drainage. 
Then again their buds will droop by a change of the at- 
mosphere when removed from summer to winter quarters ; 
fresh air should never be denied them when removed into 
a room. This is applicable to all plants, for all should be 
inured to their winter confinement by degrees, or they can- 
not sustain life without. When the Camellia is kept too 
warm it causes their buds to fall, and also their growth, is 
forced beyond their power of retaining them. Extrem^es of 
any kind are prejudicial to plants. 

I have pointed out the difficulties attending those which 
require most care ; for all other plants a medium line must 



GENERAL TREATMENT OF TtANTS. 37 

be drawn, where not more fully explained in other parts of 
this work. To destroy insects, such as the red spider, 
green fly, &c., that infest pot plants, I have always found 
whale oil soap the most effectual, to be mixed in the pro- 
portion of fifteen gallons of water to two pounds of soap ; 
not stronger, unless to destroy caterpillars. The soap and 
water should be mixed twenty-four hours before used ; may 
be syringed or used with the water pot ; the former is de- 
cidedly the best, as it throws the suds with force, and will 
penetrate where it could not be conveyed with the water 
pot. 

The practice of wintering plants in a bed-room is one 
that ought never to be adopted, and no doubt is, without 
due reflection ; but when we consider that it subverts oce of 
the greatest blessings our Maker has bestowed on us, hea'ith^ 
we ought to pause ; for the gases emitted by plants lay the 
foundation for many diseases that are not easily eradicated 
from the human system. 



HYBRIDIZING 

" Seek for beauty, if thou wilt, 
But mark the quality." 

This system has become so well understood that nature 
appears subjected to the will of the florist. There is certain- 
ly something in the ambition of man that leads him beyond 
the apparent bounds of nature in his endeavors to change 



38 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

and improve what our Maker has kindly bestowed upon U5, 
Reason and avarice no doubt hava some influence on this 
principle in subverting those gifts. A question arises when 
presumptive man, in taking on himself liberties of such a 
nature, is he acting consistent with the attributes of his Ma- 
ker or not. When we view the vast fields of flowers that 
gild this world, and man is found diving into the researches 
of nature, we feel a palliative excuse for him in assuming 
liberties in endeavoring to improve those gems that embel- 
lish the floral world. The Bees no doubt suggest to the flo- 
rist the first idea of hybridizing, and as those insects can be 
seen carrying the pollen on their soft down that covers them 
from one flower to another, by this means changing the pu^ 
rity of one with that of another, thus converting the order 
of nature by hybridizing, and on a similar principle is the 
pollen removed from one plant to another with a ca-mel's 
hair pencil, thus showing what the insect effects by acci- 
dent the florist effects on the same principle with the pencil 
as a system. There are many plants on the Prairies and 
other places that cross naturally without those agencies, but 
crosses of that kind are confined more to plants of a like 
nature, beyond this there is a barrier which cannot be over- 
stepped. The China Pink planted by the side of the Sweet 
William will cross without artificial fecundation. 

The florist in some measure is prescribed in his limits, 
for he may cross the Peach and Plum, but he cannot con- 
vey the pollen of either to the Apple with effect, the consti- 
tution of the one will not admit anything of the kind on the 
other. The greatest perfection of the florist's skill can be 
exercised with the China Rose, the pollen of which will 
fertilize with that of any other rose, hence we are indebted for 



HYBRIDIZING. 39 

such splendid varieties. Again, see to what perfection the 
Cineraria has been brought, also the Verbena Gladiolus 
and Geranium, and many other beautiful flowering plants. 
These improvements have created much excitement in the 
minds of the florist, which makes it difficult to tell when 
the limit of his desire for hybridizing will be checked. 

There are many hybrid plants brought into existence 
that will not seed, consequently must be increased by cut- 
tings or divisions of the roots, and many that do seed car- 
ry a tendency towards the parent plant that in time will 
return altogether and be lost as a hybrid. The settled con- 
stitution of such plants is not to be relied on. for it posses- 
ses a weakness, and as its flowers tend to the original pa- 
rent its strength increases, so that hybrids that cross naturally 
are of short duration. This may appear strange, but so it 
is. If we take the pollen of one flower and fertilize another 
of a different quality, the produce arising from such an ex- 
periment would probably bear no resemblance to any raised 
before, this would be devoid of seed to perpetuate its kind 
the following season. 

It is the practice of a florist when he intends to cross a 
flower, to cut the anthers out of the blossom early in the 
morning when the pollen is moist and does not so readily 
escape, which insures more efl^ectually the performance. 
Therefore it is necessary for these ^vho wish to succeed in 
hybridizing, to commence early in the morning. When 
a plant does not seed well there would be much time lost 
in the attempt, for instance the Carnation, Chrysanthemum, 
and many other perennials that seldom seed in this country. 

When experiments by crossing are to be performed, the 
pollen should be taken from the plant early in the morning 



40 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

with a camel's hair pencil, and placed on the pistil of the 
other, having- previously extracted the anthers, and if effected 
the petals will fade and drop off sooner than otherwise, but 
if the experiment is a failure the petals are longer falling, 
and seldom fall clear, showing the difference in the two 
flowers. Sometimes the Carnation will seed if the season 
be propitious, and if crossed the petals will fade before 
night — otherwise ^vill take ten or twelve days before they 
fall, thus giving a fair chance for the operator to renew his 
experiments the following day. When the Carnation seeds 
without crossing, the seedlings will produce flowers of the 
original stock ^ flesh color. 

Experiments have been tried on Lilies when the hybrid 
resembled the mother plant in the leaf and stem, and the 
flowers of the father, so it is with mule Pinks. Many per- 
sons are of opinion' that soil will affect the color in plants ; 
not so, in some measure the brilliancy of colors may be af- 
fected. It is a well known fact that Carnation growers in 
England, when going to exhibit their flowers for premiums 
will make the soil rich, with a view to produce fine colors, 
which often makes them run, that is, instead of ha"\dng a 
rich stripe become selfs and worthless ; so it is with Tulips 
and many other florist flowers. 

\i\ hybridizing there is something interesting in the sys- 
tem, still it is all chance work, mere speculation ; but the 
mind of man is ever prone to projects, and will be while he 
finds a solace in anticipation of any nature. The hybrid- 
izing of Roses is certainly brought to the Tie plus ultra of 
perfection Avith most of that beautiful variety of flowers. 



AMERICAN COWSLIP. 41 

There can be much effected with other plants, therefore 
the zealous will find his industry rewarded according to the 
assiduity he bestows on the system. 



AMERICAN COWSLIP 

(dEDOCATHEON MEDIA.) 

*' They shall OAvn thee the sweetest and fairest of flowers, 
That smile in the woodlands, or bhish in our bowers ' 
They shall own thee a lovelier gem of delight 
Than they that illumine the veil of midnight ! " 

This very interesting' snd delightful hardy perennial flow- 
ering plant is a native of this country. The leaves are ob- 
long, elliptic, in a cluster nearly flat on the ground, of a 
light green color, throwing up a scape at the top of which 
is an umbel of drooping flowers, of a light purple, with the 
segment reflexed from near the base, beautifully variegated, 
making it one of the most agreeable border flowers that 
could be selected, flowering in May. This was named 
" Dedocatheon " (by Linnaeus), or the twelve divines ; it is 
generally supposed he selected that name from the number 
of flowers on the scape ; if such was the case we need not 
wonder at the abortiveness of the name, as the umbels will 
put forth sometimes as many as twenty flowers. The plant 
was first discovered by Micheauz, a French botanist, but the 
late Mr. Drummond was the first to collect the seeds during 
his researches on the Rocky Mountains, and transmitted 
them to .the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, where the merit 
4 



42 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

of this (our) native flower is properly appreciated. The 
American Cowslip is quite common in the western country, 
more especially on the prairies, where its splendor is 
most enchanting. 

To cultivate this beautiful plant the roots should be di- 
vided after their flowering and the leaves die down ; if di- 
vided in the spring, a plan frequently done, will often pre- 
vent them flowering that season. The seed should be sown 
as soon as ripe, or may be kept until spring ; a shady place 
and moist soil being most desirable, it must be a rich loam. 
Seedlings should not be transplanted until the second sea- 
son, and will flower the third. 



AMABANTHUS. 

•' With solemn adoration down the East, 
Their crowns, inwove with amaranth and gold, 
Immortal amaranth, a jflower which once 
In Paradise, first by the tree of life 
Began to bloom." 

This is a very numerous family of ornamental flowering 
plants, which gives to the flower garden a lively appear- 
ance from the month of July to September. The racemes 
of these annuals are superb, some more so than others. A. 
melancholicus grows about four feet high, flowering all the 
summer ; this plant is better calculated for a large garden, 
consequently not much cultivated in this country as in some 
parts of Europe. The color is a rich crimson purple. This 



AMARANTttUS. 43 

plant, like A. tricolor, is not well adapted for a bouqeut , its 
chief culture beings intended for their ornamental appear- 
ance and their singularity ; the latter is very showy in a 
large garden^ the gorgeous appearance of the leaves are ve- 
ry strikingly showy to the eye. The leaves of this plant 
being variegated is the origin of its name tricolor, and when 
in perfection and the sun shining on them, are extremely 
dazzling. Round the stem are tufts adhering containing 
the seed. These and most of the species are natives of the 
Indies. To grow them well the soil should be light and 
rich ; if raised in the hot-bed great care should be taken to 
protect them from early frost, as all those varieties are ten- 
der. A. giobosx is another beautiful variety, extremely or- 
namental and more cultivated than the above named varie- 
ty, and is well known as the ^'- Bachelor'' s Buttons.'''' If 
these flow^ers are gathered before ripe, or the frost nips them, 
they retain their primitive color all the winter. Of the 
Globe w^e have two varieties, white and purple, the latter 
more showy. There are others, also, considered ornamen- 
tal, but it would be useless to go into particulars of their de- 
scription as the family are numerous; they generally flower 
until killed by the frost. The Amaranthus is one of the 
oldest flowers in cultivation, as we find them in much es- 
teem by the ancients. The Thessalians decorated their 
heads with crowns made of the Amaranthus at the obse- 
quies of Achilles. Milton has been lavishing in praise of 
their beauty in his description of heaven. Pope, and many 
other poets also sung in praise of the richness appertaining 
to their beauty. 



44 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE.- 

ARGEMONE. 

(PAPAVER^NAj OR PRICKLY POPPY.) 

This is a hardy annual, and the variety consists of not 
more than six^ whose diversity of colors are not very exten- 
sive, being principally white and yellow^ of erect habit and 
branching, leaves resembling the thistle. The Argemone 
is a nativu of Mexico, flowering from July to August, pre- 
fers a sandy loam ; the stem is about two feet, not very pre- 
possessing in appearance, therefore not much cultivated in 
this country* 



ASTERS. 

" Thou art like some Ion© brilliant star, 
Some planetary light, 
That glitters, radiant and afar, 
Within the depth of night." 

This is a very numerous family of late flowering' peren- 
nials, all deserving a place in the back ground of the bor- 
ders. The Aster best know^n here is a native of this coun- 
try, called the " Missouri Aster j^ of an azure blue, rather 
late in flowering, but it puts forth its lively flowers at a sea- 
son that makes them truly welcome, cheering up the ap- 
pearance of the garden at a season when all other flowers 



ASTERS. 45 

are on the wane, making them highly deserving our favor. 
The stem of this Aster grows from five to six feet high, the 
leaves linear, lanceolate, entire, fleshy, smooth, and slightly 
ribbed. The flowers corymbose, scales of the involucrum 
obtuse, slightly membranous. This Aster and others are 
easily propagated hy dividing the roots in the spring or fall, 
or by sowing the seeds in the spring, and will flower the 
first year. The Asters are cultivated extensively in Eu- 
rope. Mr. T. Rivers has been quite industrious in crossing 
them, and with considerable success. In his catalogue 
there are. seventeen distinct varieties flowering from Septem- 
ber to December, which must appear beautiful at that sea- 
son. The soil for the culture of the Asters should be a rich 
loam. 



AGAPANTHUS 

(UMBELLATUS.) 



This superb and magnificent Lily is a native of Africa, 
and is treated as a green-house plant, does equally well in 
a pit or room; was introduced in 1692. The leaves are 
slightly channelled, long, entire, something like the Leek of 
the vegetable garden ; is evergreen, throwing up a stem 
about three feet high, with an umbel of beautiful azure 
blue flowers ; the head is not unlike the seed-pod of the 
onion, exhibiting about one hundred flowers, each standing 
on a pedicle about one inch long. As the flowers do not 
expand all at one time, gives the plant a very impofiing ap- 



46 A GUIDE TO FLomcULTURE. 

pearance for about six weeks. There is another variety 
with a striped leaf, not so robust in habit, flowers alike, but 
not in such profusion ; also one bearing white flowers, not 
very attractive. The roots of this Lily are not, strictly 
speaking, bulbous or fibrous, but inclining in formation to 
the Leek. This plant is tender, and from the month of 
November to February requires but little water, when in a 
growing state a plentiful supply. 

The soil should be a sandy loam with a small portion of 
cow manure. The best time to divide the roots is in Octo- 
ber. From the nature and growth of this plant it will re- 
quire some labor in dividing them, in doing which, if one 
half of the roots are cut out the plant will not be injured 
by the operation. The shifting of this plant is often resorted 
to which is not required, once a year being often enough, 
and will flower the sooner by being disturbed less than gen- 
erally practised. 



AGEEATHUM 

(mexicanum.) 



Of this variety of half hardy annuals there are but two, 
Odoratum and Mexicanuvi, the stem generally erect, the 
flowers terminal, irregularly branched, corymb of a delicate 
blue. The seeds should be sown in March and will flower 
from June to September. Both are natives of Mexico, and 



AGERATHUM. 47 

will grow in any common garden soil. The fragrant vari- 
ety is the most esteemed for cultivation as an ornamental 
flower. 



ANEMONE. 

(anemone coronaria.) 

" Not a tree, 
A plant, a leaf, a blossom, but contains 
A folio volume. We may read and read, 
And read again, and still find something new. 
Something to learn, and something to digest. 
E'en in the humble weed." 

The Anemone is a species of wind-flower, and is consid- 
ered a florist flower, was imported into Europe 1596, about 
the same time as the Ranunculus was. A Coronaria is 
the poppy or garland flower, is a native of the Levant, but 
A. Hortensis is a native of the most elevated parts of the 
countries in Siberia, Switzerland, Germany, and the most 
northern parts of the continent, and more hardy than ihe 
Ranunculus. The leaves of the Anemone are terminate, 
segments multified and linear, muricated lobes, stem, about 
nine inches branching, flowers terminal and various, flower- 
ing in May and June. The management of one is applica- 
ble to the other ; the single and some semi-double are held 
in as high repute as the double, but the colors must be bril- 
liant and distinct. The roots resemble in some respects the 
roots of ginger, and the flowers have a fximily resemblance 



48 A GUIDE TO FLOIlIC^LTrjE:E= 

to the Clematis, and the brilliancy of their colors mal^# 
them indispensible in all -well regulated flower gardens^. 
The following criterion for a fine Anemone is taken from 
Loudon's Encyclopaedia, page 1029. 
- " The stem should be strong, elastic, and erect, not less 
than nine inches high. The blossom or corolla should be 
at least two inches and a half in diameter, consisting of an 
exterior row of large, substantial, well rounded petals, or 
guard leaves, at first horizontally extending, and then turn* 
ing a little t^pwards^ so as to form a broad shallow cup, the 
interior part of which should contain a great number of 
long and &mall petals iriibricating each other, and rather re- 
verting from the centre cf the blossom ; there are a great 
number of gmall slender stamens intermixed with the pe* 
tals, but these sr© short and Bol easily discernible. The 
colors shoMd be clear and distinct when diversified in the 
same flower, or brilliant and striking if it consist only of 
one color, as blue, crimgon^ or scarlet, &:c,, in which case 
ihe bottom of the broad exterior petals are generally white } 
but the beauty and contrast is considerably increased when 
both the exterior and interior petals are regularly marked 
v/ith alternate blue and v/hite, or pink and white, &lc.-^ 
stripes,- which in the broad petals should not extend quite to 
the margin?.' 

The soil most suitable is rather light and sandy loam, 
still this plant is by no means tenacious. The best time to 
plant them is October, and will bloom in April and May, 
and if shaded will retain their briMiancy for a long time, 
and if planted in November will flower in May and June. 
The Anemone can be brought to bloom in any month 
of the year, but those planted late and protected with 



ANEMONE. 49 

a layer of manure are decidedly the best flowers, and those 
planted at any other season will degenerate. The roots of 
the Anemone are generally sold by the ounce, but can be 
purchased by the hundred if selected by name, which in 
general is the dearest way. One hundred can be purchased 
at about five dollars up to fifty. The reason assigned for 
selling by the ounce is that well grown roots are larger, and 
the purchasers can divide the roots to suit their fancy, for 
every .piece will generally fiower the first season with the 
same facility as the larger roots. 

The Anemone continues growing after the blooming 
season is over, much longer than the Ranunculus, being 
more succulent, and should be taken up just before the 
leaves die down, for if permitted to remain much longer 
will begin to grow again, and materially injure them for 
the next season. To raise from seed you must select 
from the semi-double flowers and manage them the same as 
Ranunculus, and should never be grown in the same bed 
often as the soil deteriorates. This family does not contain 
above two hundred with names, quite enough to supply any 
reasonable person with all the colors his desire could wish. 



5Q, A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



ACHIMENES. 

" When the wandering eye 
Unfixed is in a verdant ocean lost, 
Another Flora then, of bolder hues, 
And richer sweets, beyond our garden's pride." 

This is a family of bulbous rooted plants of recent intro- 
duction, and now commands much attention by the florist 
in this country as well as Europe. A. Longifoloia is of an 
azu.re blue flower, the foliage a dark green and of fine hab- 
its forming a beautiful contrast, growing about twenty inch- 
es high and branching. The different varieties all vary 
in color of the flowers, I do not know of a family of flow- 
ers of recent introduction more prepossessing than the Achi- 
menes, all growing easily from cuttings, but is principally 
propagated from bulbs that form in abundance at the roots 
of the plant, about the size and shape of a pea. I observe 
some of the latest introduction the bulbs appear about 
half an inch long and formed of scales, small, not unlike 
the burr of the pine. These plants are better calculated for 
the green-house, as the bulbs require to be planted early 
and should be forced with bottom heat, either of tanner's 
bark or stable manure to make them flower early, other- 
wise it will be so late before you get them to flower that the 
cold weather would prevent them from developing their 
beautiful and graceful flowers. These plants are tender 
and will not bear the least frost, therefore should be always 
kept in the house. The soil best calculated for the whole 
variety is a rich soil, principally leaf mould and sand with 



ACKIMENES. dl 

a'good drainage, as the plant requires plenty of water, still 
must not be allowed to become stagnant in the pot. The 
Achimenes will always be cheap, as it increases fast when 
kept in the green-house ; with those not having that conve- 
nience it would be best to purchase of the nurseryman in 
June, when in flower, it would save much trouble and dis- 
appointment in bringing them forward. Those who wish 
to raise their own plants should, as soon as their plants die 
down, place the pots in a cellar in the winter, but if allow- 
ed to get damp or freeze, the bulbs would be destroyed, or 
the bulbs may be packed in dry sand. In March the bulbs 
should be potted into two inch pots and placed in a hot-bed, 
and be kept moderately moist ; in three or four weeks the 
plants will begin to appear. When you discover the pot 
filled with roots, repot them into four inch pots, which will 
be large enough for them to flower in, as this plant does 
not extend its roots far, therefore requires a smaller pot than 
many other plants, but a larger one is generally used than 
necessary, otherwise the top would be too heavy for the pot. 
The time of their flowering will depend on the propagator 
either late or early, the sooner brought to flower the better, 
for if late the cold in the fall will stop them. Notwith- 
standing the difiiculty attending this plant, the trouble will 
amply compensate in their magnificent display of flowers 
which is very profuse. 



5% A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

AZALEA. 

(PULCHRA.) 

" There's danger in the dazzling eye, 

That woos thee with its witching smile ; 
Another, when thou art not by, 

Those beaming looks would fain beguile." 

This "beautiful hybrid variety of one of our most interest- 
ing- species of shrubby flowering plants, commonly called 
" Pretty AzaU a," generally flowers from March to April. 
The spreading branches of this shrub is thickl)?- covered with 
brown hair, the lower side more so than the upper. Leaf 
stalk short, flowers solitary, occasionally two or three ter- 
minal. Flower stalk with white hairs, and the calyx part- 
ed deeply and hairy. Corolla, bright rose color with red 
on the upper segments, stamens ten, and the stigma a glos- 
sy red. This magnificent flowering shrub is easily kept in 
a pit, and when wanted to flower should be brought into a 
warm room. 

There is a large family of the Azalea in cultivation much 
■admired for their commanding appearance when in bloom, 
for when well grown presents one mass of flowers. There 
is a double variety, but not so desirable as the single, and 
requires a warm place to make it flower, therefore not suit- 
able for parlor culture, all the single varieties are. The 
Azalea is a little tender, like most plants indigenous to Chi- 
na, therefore should be kept out of reach of frost ; is of easy 
culture, growing readily from cuttings, taking off the young 
wood as soon after flowering as grown from four to six 



AZALEA. 5 b 

inches long, be sure and cut close to the old wood, then 
plant the cuttmgs in a light sandy soil and cover with a 
bell glass managed as directed for cuttings. In six weeks 
the cuttings will be sufficiently rooted, and should be pot- 
ted off and then placed in the shade until established. To 
propagate from seed it will be best to sow them as soon as 
ripe, and in the spring when the young plants are of suf- 
ficient size, which will be when three inches high, pot them 
off and treat them the same as cuttings. The proper time 
to repot the old plants is as soon as done flowering, unless 
you discover seed pods on them, which should be allowed 
to ripen first. The best soil to grow them in is a sandy 
loam, and is also applicable to sow seed in. When your 
plants are repotted place them in the shade until September, 
when they should be removed to their winter quarters. 
The Azalea, during its flowering season, requires plenty 
of water or its flowers will drop, at other seasons requir- 
ing but little. 



AURICUIA. 

(primula auricula.) 

" See, 
When arrayed in sparkling dust and velvet pride, 
Like brilliant stars arranged in splendid rov/, 
The proiid Auriculas their lustre show." 

This beautiful gem of flora is a native of the Swiss Al- 
pine Mountains, and is supposed to be a variety with Pri- 



54 A GTJIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

mula Helveticus, Nevis, and Viscosa. Its original color is 
orange yellow, not much unlike the English Cowslip, and 
not over prepossessing in appearance, unless in its pristine 
state.. The Auricula was imported into England in the six- 
teenth century, and was found susceptible of improvement 
by cultivation. Since that time much care has been be- 
stowed by florists, and the perfection it has attained is aston- 
ishing, so much so that it has become one of the leading 
florist flowers of England • and instead of the original col- 
ors is now one of the most beautiful imaginable. There 
are catalogues published in London containing several hun- 
dred with different names, from fifty cents each up to fifty 
dollars, depending on their perfection of beauty and scarcity. 
It is a matter of surprise that this delightful flower is not 
more cultivated in this country, for any situation that will 
preserve the Carnation through the winter would be con- 
genial to the Auricula; indeed I think the Carnation the 
more tender of the two. Being a native of the Alpine re- 
gions of Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, it remains dor- 
mant through the winter, being entirely covered with snow, 
therefore it must be conclusive that any situation that is a 
little above freezing point is suitable — for instance, a cellar 
or pit is all the protection necessary. During the months 
of December and January must be kept tolerably dry. In 
the beginning of February take some of the soil out of the 
pot without disturbing the roots, and replace it with fresh, 
and begin to water, moderately at first, and the benefit re- 
sulting will soon be perceptible. The best time to take oflf 
the side shoots is in the spring when the plants are in flow- 
er, as you can more readily mark the varieties. It is not 
material whether the side shoots have root fibres or not, as 



AURICULA. 65 

they will soon strike root at that season, and the spring fol- 
lowing will flower. In the summer this plant delights in 
the shade, and must be regularly watered. The best time 
to repot is in the month of September, in four inch pots, for 
this plant will flower better when the roots come in contact 
with the sides of the pot. The best soil for the Auricula 
is from the woods, more particularly in the ravines, where 
rotten wood and leaves are washed, with a mixture of sand 
or fine stone. 

From the works published in England on the culture of 
this plant, one would suppose it diflicult to manage, for the 
methods advocated by different authors (for each recom- 
mends a different soil) only mystify and perplex amateurs, 
consequently many valuable plants are lost. Reflection 
should teach us in our experience that it would be more ju- 
dicious in the management of Alpine plants, to come as 
near as we can to their native habits, in soil and protection. 
In almost every cottage in England the traveller's eye is 
greeted with the Auricula, and it was a gratification to the 
writer of this, during a tour through that country in 1837, 
to visit a garden in the beginning of May, at the end of 
which was a stage of these flowers, about one hundred in 
number. Words cannot describe the feelings experienced 
at that moment, when presented to view; being fairly riv- 
eted to the spot with amazement and delight. Such a sight 
never before met my eye, and I believe never will again. 
I had often heard the beauties of this flower extolled, but 
never before was their splendor realized ; and I may with 
safet}!- say the recollection will never be erased from my 
memory. When I regained possession of myself, and view- 
ed the beautiful color of the various flowers, the black, the 



56 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

brown, the purple, richness of the blue, the brightness of 
the pink, the splendor of the scarlet, and richness of the 
crimson ; some edged with green, some with white, and 
others with grey; again others with dark ground, with 
beautiful white powder sprinkled over the flower, as if the 
wind itself threatened to waft its delicacy away, and destroy 
the incomparable beauty of the flower — then again the 
largeness of the trusses and their fragrance — all these in- 
toxicated the mind with delight. In that collection I no- 
ticed the " Conqueror of Europe," price fifteen dollars ; 
« Robert Burns," (Hodges) " Ne plus Ultra," "Champion," 
"Hero," and others equally valuable ; but these were many 
the most prominent, I have from that time been an admir- 
er of the Auricula. 

This plant is extensively cultivated in England by seed, 
by most gardeners and amateurs, and presented for exhibi- 
tion, and prizes are awarded to the successful flower. The 
Lancashire weavers are the most successful Auricula grow- 
ers, as it appears from flori cultural reports. There is some 
difficulty in getting the seed to germinate if not fresh, as it 
may occur sometimes that seed will be one or two years be» 
fore they come up unless forced in a hot-bed. When the 
seedlings have formed four leaves they should be trans- 
planted into thumb pots, and be kept in the shade and never 
suffered to become dry, nor be placed where the rain falls, 
or they will be washed out of the soil. Seedlings will flow- 
er the second season. The soil recommended for full 
grown plants will also do for seed and seedlings. 



ACACIA. 67 



ACACIA. 

" Our rocks are rough, but smiling there 
The Acacia weaves her yellow hair, 
Lonely and sweet, nor loved the less 
For flowering in a wilderness ; 
Then come, my Arab maid will be 
The loved and lone Acacia tree." 

The Acacia is a very numerous family of deciduous 
plants, generally found in all parts of the globej most of the 
showy varieties are generally calculated for the green- 
house, while some few are calculated to decorate th-^^ shrub- 
bery. The common Acacia, better known as the Locust^ 
is a native of this country, and one of the finest ornamental 
shade trees ever produced; although of a showy appear' 
ance in groves or round dwellings, it is not calculated for the 
confines of a city, as it is subject to the attacks of insects, 
and then easily broken off by the wind, thus destroying 
its primitive beauty and majestic form. For a grove or 
shade in the country it is unsurpassed, and is not ravaged by 
insects, as the birds feed on and destroy them. Then again 
the wood is valuable to farmers for posts. Their roots do 
not extend deep underground, consequently is apt to throw 
up suckers in abundance, which must be either taken ofl? 
and planted, or destroyed when young. This tree is not so 
early as most of our natives in putting forth in the spring ; 
the leaves and flowers appear much about the same time^ 
and the fragrance of the flowers can be inhaled for some 
distance, so strong and delightful is the odor. The Rosa 
Acacia, Rohina Hispida, is certainly a beautiful deciduous 



58 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

shrub, very ornamental, in the flower garden, generally 
flowering in a rich loam from May to September, and is, 
hardy. The racemes axillary, leaves are pinnate, and the- 
stem hispid. The flowers are drooping, racemes of rosy 
pink, the flowers in the form of pea blossoms, clustered and 
fascinating in appearance, commanding the admiration of 
persons possessing the least taste for flowers. 

This plant is propagated by suckers^ or grafted on the 
common Locust from one to three feet from the ground, 
according to fancy. This shrub flowers better when graft- 
ed than when on its own bottom ; not only so but the flow- 
ers are larger. These plants should be grafted in the 
spring; the operation is performed in the usual way of 
grafting fruit trees. There are some fine varieties from the 
East Indies which require to be cultivated in the green- 
house. The finest of this species is A, Laphante, the blos- 
soms of which are a clear sulphur yellow, of most imposing 
beauty ; even the delicate foliage with its pinnated leaves, 
which resembles the sensitive plant, is an ornament inde- 
pendent of the external beauty of the flowers. It is some- 
what doubtful if this plant would suit the parlor, as the 
least frost would be detrimental, unless the heat of the room 
be such as to exclude the frost entirely, and if the heat was 
not uniform would be also injurious. A. Saligna, com- 
monly called the " willow," is another variety, from New 
South Wales, and was introduced in 1818; not so tender 
as the other, will grow ten feet high. The leaves are more 
in the shape of the Oleander leaf, only more blunt at the 
end, quite entire, the flowers yellow, the seed pod contracted 
between the seed. There is no doubt this 'variety would 
do well in the parlor, being a free bloomer, and will with- 



ACACIA. 59 

stand considerable frost; this makes it a desirable variety. 
A. Oxycedorus is another still more desirable, and will 
withstand a hard frost. This plant was introduced in 1824 
from New Holland. "Branches of This variety spread, the 
points cernuous, leaves rigid, alternate or in whorls, linear, 
lanceolate, stipules short, rigid spine, about the length of 
those at the point of the leaf, peduncles clothed, dense wood. 
This variety will grow readily from cuttings, and indeed so 
will most of the Acacias, but sr>me are more difficult than 
others. It appears that we are indebted to New Holland 
for some of the finest varieties, and those not so tender as 
many, though of late there have been some beautiful plants 
brought from Africa, but are very tender. There are some 
of this species of ornamental plants in China ; the flowers 
are used as a yellow die, being very permanent, as may be 
seen by their silks of that color, which are imported from 
there ; but to follow the history and description of this nu- 
merous and valuable family of plants would be foreign to 
the purpose, and this article is now longer than originally 
intended when first commenced. 



BEAUTIFUL NEMOPHILA. 

(nemophila insignis.) 

This plant is of late introduction and better calculated 
for parlor culture than the open ground, in habit of spread- 
ing, the leaves scolloped, flowers cup shape, of a beautiful 



60 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

azure blue, centre white, does not grow above six inches 
high, is considered hardy, flowering in the spring. The 
seeds of this annual should be sown in September in pots, 
and brought into the house in November, and will flower 
early. There are two other varieties, N. Atoinaria, and N. 
Discordalis ; the first raised from seed by Mr. Turner of 
Chalvey, in England, and is a pale blue, striated all over 
with white, very distinct ; and the latter has a black disk 
with a white edge, extremely pretty. 

The soil for these annuals should be a rich loam, and 
their treatment should be alike. Sow seeds again in the 
spring for a second crop. 



BINDWEED. 

(convolvulus arvensis.) 

There is a numerous family of the Bindweed- natives of 
all parts of the globe. C. Arvensis is a perennial runner, a 
native of England, bearing a rose colored flower in June 
and July, rather small and trumpet shape. Leaves sagitate, 
lobes acute, peduncles are flowered, minute bractese, distinct 
from the flowers. This variety does not possess much 
merit and may be considered the most inferior of the whole 
tribe. There is another variety extensively cultivated and 
better known as the "Morning Glory." C Major posses- 
sing innumerable variety of flowers of all colors, of great 
richness. This variety shows to great advantage when 



BINDWEED. 61 

trained to the arbor or window, affording a good shade 
while the flowers are imposing to the sight, affording a 
double incentive to their culture. 

C. MinoTj is another extremely beautiful variety, well 
calculated for the border, running about two feet and pro- 
lific in flowers. This plant is known as the tricolor con- 
volvulus, the flowers being white, yellow, and blue. The 
last two varieties are annuals, requiring a rich soil to flower 
well, and generally flower from June until killed by the 
frost. There are many others well worthy of culture, but 
the above are old favorites, and will always retain their po- 
sition in all gardens. 



BALSAM. TOUCH-ME-NOT. 

(iMPATIENS BALSA]VIINA.) 

*' To mark the matchless working of the power, 
That shuts within the seed the future flower, 
Bid those in elegance of power excell, 
In color those, and those delight in smel ; 
Sends nature forth, the daughter of the skies, 
To dance on earth, and charm the human eyes." 

The Balsam, or Touch-me-not, is generally supposed to 
be a native of England, which is not the case, with the ex- 
ception of I. Noli-me-tangere, which is found growing in 
Yorkshire and some other parts, while many others are na- 
tives of the East Indies, and was imported as far back a? 



62 A GUIDE TO FLOmCULTTTRE. 

1596, and even some from Italy in 1564 ; and /. Fulva, the 
tawny flowered, is a native of this country, and may be 
found growing about the Niagara Falls. 1. Pallida is also 
another indigenous to this country, resembling much the 
English variety. 

The Balsam delights in a humid and shady situation, 
and is unquestionably the handsomest annual in cultivation. 
The flowers are formed in a cone, the colors various. The 
stem erect with succulent joints, from two to three feet high, 
with numerous branches. The leaves generally ovate, ser- 
rated, petiolate. It is observable that this variety of annuals 
in the hottest weather assumes all freshness and beauty, at the 
same time while most other plants are suffering. The rea- 
son this plant has been named Impatiens, is from the sim- 
ple circumstance of the irritability attached to the seed pod, 
which is formed of fine valves, and when pressed with the 
finger and thumb spring with great elasticity, and the seed, 
without care, is scattered some distance. The valves of 
the seed vessel are larger in the middle, and each valve 
contains a certain degree of fluid, the outer side, as may 
reasonably be supposed, is more dense than the inner, and 
on the least pressure the ends containing less fluid hold to- 
gether rather longer, which makes the sudden action more 
sensible in the middle than if all gave at the same time. 
This is better illustrated by pressing the valves that have 
not attained maturity, as the action of the movement is not 
so sudden. 

Although this plant has been in cultivation so long its 
character is but partially understood, for in former days the 
Balsam was considered a tender annual, but that opinion, is 
fast dissipating ; no doubt it arose from the circumstance 



BALSAM. TOUCIl-ME-KOT. 63 

that the seed used to be sown in the month of January, in 
a hot-bed, and the concomitant usually attending was its 
flowering before it could be safely planted out in the open 
ground, for it could not stand the chilly clime of England 
when planted so early. The Balsam started in the hot-bed 
will unquestionably produce finer colors than if brought 
forward in the open air, a circumstance contrary to the 
nature of flowers in general. The great characteristic of 
the Balsam is a fine double flower with brilliant colors ; to 
obtain this object the desideratum is time and attention, and 
never sow the seed until jive ojears old^ for the older the 
better, and will be more double in their flowers. How fre- 
quently is it exemplified before our eyes, when Ave see these 
fine ambrosial flowers in a garden, when the amateur begs 
a few seed, which are sown the next season, under the sup- 
position that they will produce as good, when contrary to 
expectation, in most cases the flowers are single or nearly 
so. Whereas had those seeds been kept five years^ their 
expectations would have been realized with double flowers. 
To raise fine flowers that will produce the richest colors 
the seed should be sown in a hot-bed in the month of 
March, in a pan of rich sandy loam, and then placed in the 
hot-bed. When the plants are two or three inches high 
transplant them into two inch pots and return them to the 
hot-bed to strike fresh root. When you find the roots be- 
gin to shoot through the hole in the bottom, without break- 
ing the ball of dirt, repot them^ into one a size larger, giving 
them plenty of air (but avoid frost) until the plants are hard- 
ened, keeping them as near the glass as possible to prevent 
the plants being drawn up ; as soon as you can plant them 
in the open ground with safety do so. Should you be de- 



64 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

sirous to bloom them in pots, let them he seven inch size. 
For a second crop sow more seeds in the open ground in 
April, and when sufficiently large transplant them to where 
intended to flower. By this method fine flowers can he 
produced from. June until late in the fall. The first flower 
buds had better be taken ofl^ to make the plants stronger 
and the flowers larger and more conspicuous in their beau- 
ty, which is so agreeable to the eye. 

This is one of the flowers nature designed to soothe the 
mind by its external beauty after our daily toil, which cre- 
ates in us a secret pleasure in contemplating the works of 
nature and art. It has often been a wonder to me that the 
Author of our being should give that portion of the human 
race (females) a greater love for flowers than our own sex. 
It must arise from no other source than their hearts being 
more refined and more open to the beauties of nature. How 
observable is this truth, for when we wish to ingratiate into 
their favor (if in the flower season) we think a bouquet the 
greatest favor to be offered. We are prompted to this by 
an innate feeling that it is the most acceptable ofl!ering to 
be made. Ladies understanding the language of flowers 
receive them with more pleasure than the donor for one 
moment imagines. 



BEAUTIFUL CLARKIA. 66 

BEAUTIFUL CLARKIA. 

(CLARKU PULCHELLA.) 

This hardy flowering plant is rather prepossessing in ap- 
pearance, is a native of California, and succeeds best if the 
seeds be sown in the fall in any common garden soil. This 
plant is of erect habit and inclinable to branch ; the leaves 
are long and narrow, flowers four, spreading petals, each 
formed of three narrow forked lobes, of a rose color, growing 
one foot high. This plant was discovered by Governor 
Lewis in his travels through that country. Within a few 
years the English florists have succeeded in raising a dou- 
ble variety that seeds freely, and is now becoming very 
extensively circulated, which gives it some importance as a 
border flower. 



BOX. 

(buxus.) 

" Nor BOX, nor lines, without their use are made, 
Smooth grained and proper for the Turner's trade, 
Which curious hands may carve and seal, 
With use invade." 

The common Dutch or Dwarf Box is a beautiful orna- 
ment in the flower garden, whether we view it as a solitary 



65 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

plant or round the borders of the bed. There is something 
lively in its appearance in the summer, and its being ever- 
green gives life to that department through the dreary 
months of winter, when scarcely any other plant shows the 
least vestage of life. 

The box is easily propagated from slips planted in March, 
and will soon root. The next season it should be planted 
round the borders of the beds so that the leaves will just 
touch, and not allow more than one inch above ground, and 
the following season begin to trim the tops so as to make 
them all one height, and should at no time be allowed to 
grow higher than five inches when round the border. Box 
should be trimmed in the spring and fall in damp weather, 
or the ends will turn color and injure their beauty. It will 
grow in any garden soil, and will bear removing at any 
time in the year but mid-summer. 

There are other varieties also ornamental in the garden. 
The common Tree Box is a native of Europe and is found 
in some parts of Asia. In England it has long ceased to 
grow in its pristine state, and is only to be found under the 
culture of the florist. There are several places in England 
where it used to grow, named after it, for instance Box Hill 
in Surrey, Boxly in Kent, and Boxwell in Gloucestershire. 
The Boxwood imported from the Levant is considered the 
largest and best for mechanical purposes, and is held high 
and sold by weight to engravers on wood, and wind instru- 
ments ; also for mathemati-cal instrument makers, &c. 



CALLA iETinOPlCA. 67 

OAILA JITHIOPICA. 

(ETHIOPIAN CALLA.) 

This is a much admired perennial and is cultivated to 
some extent throughout the civilized world, and is treated 
as a tender plant ; the least frost will destroy it. The Calla 
is a water plant, growing- in swampy grounds at the Cape 
of Good Hope, throwing up a stem in the spring two or 
three feet high, depending on the age of the plant. The 
flower is singularly formed of one whorl or vase-like calyx 
of pure white. The leaves arrow shape, formed at the end 
of the leaf stem. From July to September this plant should 
be kept moderately dry, and in September should be repot- 
ted into a rich sandy loam, previous to which take off the 
side shoots and pot them separately. This plant will stand 
out all the winter in the South if planted in the mud in a 
pond, about two or three feet from the top of the water ; the 
root will then be sufficiently protected from the effects of 
frost. This plant, when in the parlor, should be kept in a 
pan of water, which should be filled every day, as it will 
discharge a great deal at the tip of the leaves, and should 
never be allowed to be dry while growing or it will not 
flower. This plant is increased by offsets which must be 
treated the same as grown plants. 



6S A GUIDE TO FLOEJCULTURE. 

CATCHFIY. 

(SILENE ANGELICA.) 

There are several varieties of the Catchfly-j natives of Eng- 
land. This annual flowering plant throws up a stem about 
eighteen inches high, bearing white flowers. 'The petals 
are hairy, small, and viscid, crowned, bifid ; the calyx have 
setaceous teeth ; fruit ovate and partially reflexed. Lobel's 
Catchfly is considered the best annual bearing a pink flow- 
er ; both are ornamental and should be planted together, 
as the different colors give a pleasing eflect when mixed. 
This plant generally flowers in June, but by sowing the 
seed at different times will flower accordingly, and if sown 
in the fall will withstand the severity of the winter, and 
make strong plants in the spring, and flower early. When 
the seeds are once sown in the garden they need no further 
trouble, as they generally sow their own seeds and can be 
transplanted to where intended to flower, being suited to 
any kind of soil. 



COFFEE-TREE. 

(^COFFiEA ARABIC A.) 

This is certainly a delightful ornamental evergreen tree, 
a native of Arabia and Abyssinia, of easy culture, and de- 



COFFEE-TREE. 69 

sirable for the green-house or parlor. The branches are 
opposite, gradually diminishing in length as they near the 
top. Leaves opposite with short feeble stalks, oblong, ovate, 
acuminate and entire, five inches long, dark green and glos- 
sy. The flowers white, sweet scented, and in groups in the 
axil of the upper leaves, and divided into lanceolate pointed 
segments. Stamens project above the tube ; the fruit round- 
ish, umbellate at the top, changing from green to red, con- 
taining two seeds, which are the berries now so extensively 
used as a beverage. 

Coffee was first cultivated at Batavia where the first ber- 
ries were sent in 1690 ; from this place a plant was sent to 
the Governor of the Dutch East India Company in Am- 
sterdam, but the plant did not succeed so well as expected, 
the climate being too cold. In 1718 it was sent to Surinam, 
a Dutch settlement in the West Indies ; the climate being 
more congenial it did well, and propagated fast from seed. 
From this place it was introduced into the different tropical 
Islands, and soon became established as an article of com- 
merce as well as luxury. The fruit raised by parlor cult- 
ure does not contain so fine a flavor as the berries imported, 
setting aside the value of the berries, their beautiful appear- 
ance whichareabundant at all times, and the fragrance of 
the flowers, make these shrubs highly ornamental and de- 
sirable. The Coffee is easily raised from seed, and will 
bear fruit the third year if planted in a rich sandy loam in 
pots well drained, and watered freely, and in winter guard- 
ed against frost. 



70 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



CLEMATIS, OR TRAVELLER'S JOY. 

*' The Travellers Joy is a darling thing, 

None loveth it more than I ; 
I've seen it in courtly gardens cling ; 
I've seen it 'mid rocks and ruins spring; 
I know hedge-rows where it's wandering 

And I smile as I pass it by." 

This is a fine family of half hardy herbaceous flowering 
plants, natives of different countries, some are sweet scented ; 
and as a pot plant well calculated for parlor culture, run- 
ning from ten to fifteen feet^ which requires a frame of fan- 
cy work to show the plant to the best advantage. The 
Clematis has been in cultivation about four hundred years, 
and is much esteemed by florists and retains a conspicuous 
place in the green-house, although it will bear considerable 
frost. The leaves generally are pinnate, segments smooth, 
entire, or three lobed, and various form, of rapid growth, 
the wood slender and shrubby, and is easily grown from 
cuttings in the spring or by seed ; the soil for these plants 
should be rich. To raise new varieties it will be necessary 
to have recourse to impregnation, as this variety of plants 
will not cross by natural means. 

To take this extensive variety of trailing plants as a 
whole it Avould be difficult to find any more beautiful, or of 
easier culture, desirable as well as ornamental, repaying the 
amateur for the little trouble bestowed on its culture. The 
Clematis introduced by Dr. Seibold, named " Violet Clema- 
tisj'^ is considered one of the best, of a clear and delightful 




TullishMil 'bj Jfoidsftm- &■ SlcnerruxrL,Fale?v7X'Sle-r Roy^'.Ma^rl J 8^1^ 



CLEMATIS, OR TRAVELLERS JOY. 71 

purple. C. Flamula is a fine sweet scented variety, but 
the leaves are poisonous and should be kept out of the reach 
of children. C Florida bears a white flower, also desira- 
ble. A few well selected plants of different colors would 
make a splendid appearance in the window of any amateur 
in the spring and summer while flowering-. 



CINERARIA, OR THE CAPE ASTER. 

" The youthful season's wanton bloom 
Renews the beauty of each flower, 
And to the sweet songed bird is come 
Glad welcome from its darling flower." 

This is a delightful herbaceous perennial and is becom- 
ing quite a favorite in the green-house as well as the parlor. 
Within a few years the florists of England and France have 
been industrious in hybridizing the old varieties, which are 
natives of Europe, Cape of Good Hope, and other parts, by 
these means we are furnished with those delightful hybrid 
flowers, now so industriously cultivated by nurserymen, with 
Aster like flowers, developing their lively appearance in the 
early spring. The leaves of the Cineraria are alternate, 
covered with a white soft down, the under part of a purple 
cast, the flower stem from twelve to eighteen inches high, 
with a fine radient corymb or panicled flowers of spicy fra- 
grance at the extreme ends, some bearing purple, white 
with a purple disk, others pink, and some white tipped with 
purple, and many other colors and shades. There are sev- 



72 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

eral ways of propagating these plants ; in the first place by 
seeds, and the best time to sow them is early in the spring 
or late in the fall, the dry weather of the summer being 
rather severe for seedlings of this species of plants unless 
very careful. The seeds should be sown in a pan or box 
of light rich soil, with a good drainage; they should 
not be covered ; the soil should be kept moist, and as soon 
as the seedlings have formed a few leaves should be potted 
off into two inch pots, and when you discover the pot filled 
with roots shift them into a pot one size larger ; in like 
manner shift into one of four inch, which will be large 
enough to flower in. I have generally found the seed sav- 
ed in this country does not germinate well. I would recom- 
mend imported seed, not only for the sake of their vegetative 
properties, but you may in all probability secure some new 
hjrbrid, as the nurserymen in Europe raise such vast num- 
bers in the same green-house that the chance of crossing is 
decidedly greater than with us, where our collection is lim- 
ited. This plant is easily cultivated by slips taken off at 
any season ; the most judicious time is September, as these 
cuttings will make good flowering plants the following 
spring. The roots of many of this variety, if allowed to die 
down, will spring up again ; and can sometimes be divid- 
ed. It must be remembered that these plants, though easily 
cultivated, are extremely tender and soon destroyed by frost. 
When your plants have done flowering they should be placed 
in the shade, and give no more water than to keep them 
from flagging ; or you may plant them in the open ground, 
which will save much trouble, until you take off your cut 
tings in the fall. The soil best adapted for their culture is 



CINERARIA, OR THE CAPE ASTER. 73 

a rich and light soil, and the pots must have a good drain- 
age, and if kept in the shade will retain their colors more 
pure. 



CUCKOO-FLOWER, 

(lychnis flosculi.) 



This a pretty herbaceous perennial flowering plant, a 
native of England, where it is found growing profusely 
along the lanes and road-side. Flowering from April to 
June, bearing a double flower of a rose color, on a stem 
about fifteen inches high. The leaves are pinnate, the rad- 
icles roundish, toothed, leaflets those of the stem alternate, 
with leaflets becoming narrower and more entire at the top. 
The flowers terminate the stem in a raceme near a corymb 
form. This plant is often sold for Lychnis Dioica (Ragged 
Robin ), and is erroneously so named in published cata- 
logues ; both are good border flowers, and deserve a place 
in the flower garden or the parlor. The Cuckoo flower is 
perfectly hardy and of easy culture, and is increased by 
dividing the roots in July ; each crown must be furnished 
with root fibres, then planted in the shade to gain strength. 
This plant is perfectly hardy, although cultivated in the 
green-house, where it exhibits its beautiful flowers quite 
early in the spring. 



74 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

COBEA. 

(SCANDENS.) 

This is a fine running trellis plant, a native of Mexico, 
where it is known as Gedra, neorada.^ and may he consid- 
ered the best of its species. The flowers are of a hell shape, 
at first of a dingy green, becoming a fine purple. The 
leaves are alternate, equally pinnated, terminated with ten- 
drils, leaflets egg-shaped, acute, quite ornamental in appear- 
ance. This plant is perennial in duration, grows freely by 
seed and cuttings, and is rather tender : it should not he 
planted in the open ground before May, and will run about 
fifty feet in the season. The Cobea, if planted by the side 
of a wall, will naturally catch by its tendrils ; still from the 
nature and disposition of running so much, in wet seasons 
if not fastened, it will break down by its own weight. If 
this plant is intended for pot culture, in the summer it 
should be allowed plenty of pot room, as the roots require 
it, and the soil should be a rich sandy loam. As this plant 
strikes freely from cuttings it should be planted in the open 
ground in summer, and in September take cuttings, which 
will strike quick under a bell glass ; they can then be potted 
off and kept easily in a pit or the house. The culture is 
easy, the plant fine, and worthy of cultivation, especially 
with those who have plenty of room, affording a good shade, 
besides its floral beauty. 



CACTUS. 75 

CACTUS. 

(cacti.) 

This is a fine succulent variety of plants, of very singu- 
lar appearance, natives of Brazil, and is found on the arid 
plains of Mexico and other parts, particularly in sandy and 
rocky situations ; perennial in duration, of rather tender and 
delicate nature, though of easy culture; but is, strictly 
speaki-ng, a green-house plant, and will survive our winters 
in the parlor if not allowed to freeze or watered too much. 
The generality of the Cacti do not like a damp situation 
in the winter, therefore not calculated for pit culture. 

There is now in cultivation about one thousand varieties 
beside hybrids ; the flowers of some appear in March, are 
certainly magnificent but not fragrant; still their beauty 
shows to great advantage when kept by themselves in a 
green-house. There are some of this tribe called " Night 
Blooming Cereus," that flower at night, highly odoriferous, 
but their flowers last only one night. The one called 
Grandijlora is a magnificent plant, a native of South Amer- 
ica ; when the corolla is fully expanded in the evening the 
beholder is greatly surprised with the size of the floral de- 
velopment, which will measure about twelve inches across 
the color, on the inner side of the calyx ; is a beautiful 
clear sulphur yellow, while the petals are a virgin white ; 
the stamens not easily described, for it appears of different 
colors as you change your position to view its beauties. 
The flower is not only beautiful but the fragance is so 



7 b A GU-IDE TO FLOE,ICULTURE. 

great as almost to prevent a person approaching it in a con- 
fined roam. 

The seed pod of the Cactus resemble in size and shape a 
large red gooseberry when ripe, and is eatable ; the flavor 
is between the strawberry and pine apple. The seed should 
be rubbed out of the pod when dry and planted in sand, 
and will soon make their appearance ; when of sufficient 
size pot them, but withhold water from them for several 
days. The soil for grown plants should be a coarse sandy 
loam, and the plants should be well drained ; from August 
to January will be a good time to repot : during that time 
they should have but little or no water, much will depend 
on the situation of the room where kept The Cactus is 
easily raised from cuttings taken off in the spring, but 
should not be planted for several days, even then should 
not be watered until the plant begins to grow. This suc- 
culent plant is easily grafted by cutting a slit in one variety 
and sticking a piece of another in the place, cut like a 
wedge ; this should be done in the spring ; and there will 
be no need of using grafting wax as the graft will grow 
v/ithout difficulty, and bloom more freely than when on its 
own bottom. There is a large variety of the prickly pear 
the best to graft on, and it is frequently the case we see 
four varieties grafted on the same stalk, and when in bloom 
the contrast of colors give a pleasing appearance. 



CENTUREA. 7T 



CENTUREA, 



This a large family of plants, natives of different parts of 
the globe ; the greater part are considered ornamental, bear- 
ing flowers from June to October. The neatest of this va- 
riety is the Sweet Sultan, a native of Persia. Of this variety 
there are three, white, purple, and yellow, growing about 
eighteen inches high. The involucre roundish, smooth, 
scales egg sliaped, and th^ leaves lyrate and toothed ; will 
grow in any garden soil, but thrive best in a sandy loam. 



CHINA ASTERS. 

(aster chinensis.) 

** How lovely ! how commanding ! but through Heaven 
In every breast hath sown their early seeds 
Of love and admiration; yet in vain, 
Without fair culture's kind parental aid, 
Without enlivening suns and genial showes-s, 
And shelter from the blast ; in vain we hope 
The tender plant should rear its blooming heaa, 
Or yield the harvest promised in its spring, 
Nor yet will every soil with equal stores 
Repay the tiller's labor." 

This well known variety of Asters has been cultivated a 
long time, and its incomparable beauty has established it as 



78 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

one of the most desirable annuals we have in cultivation. 
The German florists have paid more attention to this tribe 
of Asters than the English, the former being more assidu- 
ous to its real merit, and established a name, " German As- 
ter " that will be at the head of annuals to time immemorial. 
The improvement is not only in size, but we see them beau- 
tifully quilled and more splendid than the original China 
Aster, making them almost a distinct species, and in all 
about thirty varieties. 

" All its hues, 
From the rich sunset to the rising sun, 
Their magical variety diffuse." 

I should suppose, out of the number in the English cata- 
logues, there may be about sixteen distinct colors selected ; 
for when so many are advertised it must necessarily occur 
that the similitude in some must be great, for unless one is 
a judge of colors the difference could not be perceptible. 
This Aster flowers in August and September, and in favora- 
ble weather until October, when the embellishment of their 
beauty and regularity of form is not to be surpassed by any 
annual in cultivation. The leaves are ovate, coarsely 
toothed, stalked, the cauline leaves are sessile, cuncate at the 
base ; the stem is bifid and branching, with a single head ; 
the flowers various and quilled, giving them a gorgeous 
display that approximates to perfection, making them appear 
to the eye all that is magnificent. There are no encomiums 
my poor ability could pay but what would appear insignifi- 
cant to their deserved merit. 

To cultivate this flower, if you wish for early ones, the 
seed should be sown in a pan of light soil, and be placed in 



CHINA ASTERS. 79 

a hot-bed m the month of March, and when sufficiently 
large transplant into two inch pots and return them to the 
hot-bed to be re-established, and these plants can be either 
transplanted, without disturbing the roots, into the open 
ground, or if intended to be flowered in pots you must con- 
tinue to repot from time to time, as the roots fill them, un- 
til you come to five inch pots, the one intended to flower in. 
For a second crop you must sow the seeds in the open ground 
in April, and transplant them into a bed prepared for their 
reception. It would be advisable to make the following 
compost, if you wish extra flowers, but will grow in almost 
any soil; one bushel of good garden soil, one peck leaf 
mould, half peck old manure, three quarts sand. These 
ingredients should be well incorporated and laid in a heap 
for some time prior to using it. You can either put this 
compound in trenches in the garden, or in flower pots, and 
great attention is required to keep this plant well watered 
in dry weather. 



CRAPE MYRTLE. 

(lagerstrcemia indioa.) 

This is a fine half hardy favorite shrub, a native of the 
East Indies, requiring little or no trouble, will grow twenty 
feet high in the Southern States, and will stand out all the 
winter if protected ; is readily propagated from cuttings 
planted in the ground in spring in a shady situation, and 



8Ci A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

kept moist. This shrub is cultivated in the South, in the 
open ground, and will grow in any garden soil, and flower 
to great perfection through July and August, bearing a 
bright pink flower of a singular and pleasing form, of a light 
texture, much like a piece of crape, hence the name " Crape 
Myrtle." With those who have not the means of protecting 
this plant in the open ground, they can pot them in the fall 
and place them in the cellar^ being deciduous do not feel 
the removal. If cultivated in a pot, the soil should be a 
rich loam, and must be potted and pruned every spring. 



CANTERBURY BELL. 

(campanula medium.) 

** Blue Bell ! how gaily art thou drest, 

How sweet and trim art thou, sweet flower ; 
How silky in thy azure vest, 

How fresh to flaunt at morning's hour." 

Of this variety of herbaceous and deciduous biennial 
plants there are two varieties of single flowers and two dou- 
ble, blue and white, fine ornamental border plants. The 
stem is simple, diverging ; the leaves lanceolate and serrat- 
ed, sessiles viny, peduncles axillary, three flowered and ter- 
minal, grows about two feet high, the flowers bell shaped ; 
the blue is azure, rich in color ; the white extremely pure 
and chaste. All the varieties have been great favorites 
from the time first imported from Germany to the present 



CANTERBURY BELL. 8! 

time. This plant will grow in any common garden soil ; 
the seed should be sown in April, and be transplanted either 
when small or in September, to where intended to flower, 
and will withstand the rigor of the winter without injury, 
and in June and July will exhibit their beautiful flowers. 
This plant will do well if cultivated in a pot, and show to 
great advantage in the parlor, 



CROWN IMPERIAL. 

(FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS.) 

" Meantime, the grandeur of thy lofty dome. 
For splendor seizes on the ravished eye 
New beauties rise, with each revolving Spring find 
New plants to quicken, and new groves to green." 

This is a bulbous rooted plant of a majestic appearance, 
bearing large flowers in March and April, throwing up a 
stem two feet high, naked below ; the leaves entire, with a 
whorl of flowers near the top. This is one of the early 
flowers commissioned to grace the appearance of the flower 
garden early in the spring ; embellishments like these are 
truly acceptable. There are several varieties graceful and 
majestic in appearance, serving to heighten our sanguine 
expectations at the approach of spring. The most common 
is the red ; the yellow most showy, exhibiting its beautiful 
corollas at a distance, creating our applause by its embel- 
lishment and pomp. The common variety has but one 



82 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

whorl of flowers near the top, forming a crown ; hence the 
name of the flower. We have the crown on crown which 
consists of two whorls of flowers, and crown on that, con- 
sisting of three whorls of flowers ; the latter are scarce and 
dear. In making a selection get the red and yellow and 
you will have distinct varieties ; not so with many with 
names, for in some will be but a shade in color, and that 
barely perceptible ; or may be some difference in habit of 
no moment in the common course of cultivation. This 
flower, until of late, has been called " Crown Imperial," but 
is known now as Fritillaria Imperialis. This plant is an 
old and acknowledged favorite, was introduced into Eng- 
land before the time of Shakspeaie, as the following lines 
will show, which I extract from his Winters Tale: — 

*' Bold oxlip, and 
The Crown Imperial ; lillies of all kinds, 
The fleur-de-luce being one." 

No doubt he mentioned this flower, being influenced by 
its conscious beauty in enlivening the prospect of our spring. 
We are indebted to Germany for this splendid acquisition 
to our flower garden, which affords a secret satisfaction on 
beholding its development at a season when the garden is 
nearly deficient of floral beauties. / 

This plant is easily propagated by offsets, and will grow 
in any common garden soil. The best time to remove the 
bulbs is when the stem dies down in June, or they may be 
allowed to remain in the ground for two or three years, but 
is best taken up every season and packed away until OctO' 
ber. If allowed to remain they will deteriorate the soil, 
which ought to be avoided in a small garden. If these 




J^ChHshe^ ty MnJ^tvTv^iSH:(rn€rnan-,Taiernosterl{ow:Jiify /, /8iJ^ 



RmVN IMRERIAL. 83 

bulbs are planted in the border tbey will ripen in time to 
plant the Dahlia in the same place without inconvenience; 
by this plan you will secure a second crop of flowers on the 
same ground in the same season, which is an advantage in 
a small garden. If this plant be increased by seed, they 
should be sown in the open ground in September, and 
should not be removed until the third year, and then be 
treated the same as old bulbs. 



CALCEOLARIA. 

" Yet no deleterious scent it yields; 
To cheer the garden or the field, 
Vainly in gaudy colors drest ; 

'Tis rather gazed on than caressed.' 

This florist flower was first introduced into France by 
one Louis Fenillie, a botanist, in 1414. In England this 
plant passed under the name of" Ladies Slipper," or "Slip- 
perwort ;" their primitive color is a yellow, but in 1829 the 
purple was introduced from Chili, in South America, where 
that plant abounds, and is indigenous to some parts of this 
country. Both the shrubby and herbaceous varieties are 
greatly admired. From the old varieties many new hy- 
brids have been added to the collection, presenting rich vel- 
vety corollas, quite enchanting; and their eflect in the 
green-house is beyond description. This species of plants 
are very delicate, and require much care and attention ; al- 
though beautiful in appearance these plants will never be 



84 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

commonj for the care and delicacy required in their culture 
will be a preventive. I would not recommend them to 
amateurs on that account. I am induced to do this from a 
conviction that the disappointment so often met with in their 
culture will serve to mar the hope or pleasure, than create 
a taste for other flowers ; perseverance is a great thing, and 
and ought to be cherished, but difficulty and disappointment 
will ever be a drawback to this species of plants. 

The Calceolaria is propagated by seeds, cuttings, and di- 
vision of the roots. The seeds are very small, and should 
never be covered nor watered with the water pot, the syr- 
inge being preferable, which can be played on the pan of 
seeds like a gentle shower ; the pan should be kept in a 
bark bed, the heat being so gentle and steady that every 
seed will germinate. When the seedlings are of sufficient 
size transplant them into small pots. The soil most suita- 
ble is a maiden soil, with one sixth part sharp sand. By 
division of the roots, July is the best time ; in the division 
let each crown be furnished with root fibres sufficient to 
imbibe a proper nourishment. To increase by cuttings, July 
is also the best time for the shrubby kinds, and will root 
freely in a bark bed well shaded, and moderately watered ; 
or may be struck under a bell glass. The Calceolaria, 
generally speaking, is very delicate and ought to be shaded 
from the intense heat of the sun in the summer, but in the 
winter season will require it in the morning. There is a 
discriminating judgment necessary in its culture, and par- 
ticularly in watering, for too much is equally as detrimen- 
tal as the want of that fluid. When this plant is infested 
with the green fly it must be fumigated with tobacco, and 
the next day syringed well all over, or your plant will die. 



CHINESE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 85 

i 

CHINESE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

(chrysanthemum indicum.) 

** For him the spring 
Distils her dews, and from the silken gem 
Its lucid leaves unfold — for him, the hand 
Of autumn tinges every fertile branch 
With blooming gold, and blushes from her wings ; 
And still new beauties meet his lonely walk, 
And loves unfelt attract him." 

This is one of our late and most desirable fall flowers ; 
desirable because it expands its beautiful flowers at a time 
when others cease to cheer us, thus shedding an agreeable- 
ness around our rooms, enlivening the monotony of the 
gloomy months of November and December, making our 
existence appear cheerful despite of 

" Stern winter, clad in frost and snow." 

This plant is indigenous to Cochin-China, and cultivated 
in the gardens in Japan. The first account of its introduc- 
tion was into France in the year 1754, and the following 
year it was imported into England ; even these were but 
indifferent flowers, compared with those in cultivation now. 
Such was the sensation created by these flowers, that no 
expense was spared to improve the quality and quantity. 
The Chinese had about fifty kinds which were cultivated 
by them to great perfection ; large flowers being their prin- 
cipal aim, and they never permitted more than one flower 
to grow on a stem. Some of the Chinese fastened their 



86 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUIiE. 

Stems with a wire, in as many different forms as the nature 
of the plants would allow, and a stranger at a little distance 
could not account for their symmetry being kept in such a 
position. In 1808 Sir Abraham Hume and others intro- 
duced eight new varieties of the finer quality. When we 
consider how badly this plant bears packing, we need not 
wonder at their not being introduced faster into Europe 
than they were. There has been a great change in this 
fall beauty of late years ; we are no more dependent on 
China for new varieties, as they are brought to seed in 
France, the Isle of Jersey in the British Channel, and in this 
country. From this circumstance new varieties are raised 
every season. It is with regret that the quantity has elicite-d 
more enthusiasm than the quality ; therefore it is most de- 
sirable for persons to purchase when in flower, unless you 
take varieties that have proved good fiowerers. 

The Chrysanthemum is divided into the following clas- 
ses: — Ranunculus flowered, 13 varieties ; in-curving Ra- 
nunculus, flowered 6 varieties ; China Aster flowered, 6 
varieties ; Marigold flowered, 7 varieties ; Tassel flowered, 
11 varieties, and half double Tassel flowered, 5 varieties. 
There are 48 varieties described in the Horticultural Trans- 
actions in England, and additional varieties arranged in 
the Gardener's JMagazine. I do not know a flower that is 
more calculated to please any person that has the least taste 
for flowers than this, for we find it in almost every family, 
and is the poor as well the rich man's flower. Being easi- 
ly cultivated makes it rather common, but does not impair 
its beauty, or, like most common flowers, lessen its value in 
the mind of the public, if it does the price. From the num- 
ber of fine plants now in cultivation, a person can be fur- 



CHINESE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 87 

nished with first rate varieties at a moderate price. I notice 
most of those plants cultivated five years since are thrown 
away to make room for better ones. Many who possess 
these plants, I discover, do not understand their culture to 
advantage, and yet no plant is more simple. Many will 
endeavor to produce the most flowers by planting more than 
one in a pot. and by this means defeat the object. 

The best plan is, at the end of April to take cuttings from 
the tops, three or four inches long, and plant them in two 
inch pots, one in each, and place them in a frame and cover 
them with glass, or in a shady place, and water them free- 
ly ; they will soon strike root, and when the pot is filled 
with roots repot them into the next size ; repeat this until 
the pots are six inches, which will be large enough to flow- 
er in. In July pinch off the top ; this will cause them to 
put out lateral shoots, and in August trim off all the laterals 
but three, which will be sufficient for one pot, as these will 
also put out laterals which should be permitted to grow. 
The proper soil to raise Chrysanthemums in is one half old 
manure, one half loam, with a portion of sand, the quantity 
will depend on whether your loam contains sand. If you 
plant them in open ground do not take them up until the 
buds are well formpd, and in damp weather. Planting in 
beds is a good plan and will require no attention being paid 
them all the summer, more than topping and trimming. 
You must not let them remain in the ground for the early 
frost to injure their buds. Fine dwarf plants are obtained 
•^y pegging them down at a joint in July; they will soon 
strike root, and be fit to pot in the middle of September, and 
then brought into the house. Chrysanthemums, if planted 
too close, whether in the ground or pots, will drop their 



88 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

leaves ; or if brought into the house too early the effect will 
be the same ; therefore keep them out of doors as long as 
the frost keeps off, and you will find your labor well paid 
by a splendid display of flowers. 

This plant is a greedy one, and requires a deal of water, 
and such is the nature of the plant that you may water the 
foliage in the middle of summer when the sun is shining 
and it will appear to thrive the better, which is contrary to 
the nature of other plants. Many will water this plant 
with liquid manure, but I would not advise it unless by 
a person of some experience, as the plants may be burnt 
before you are aware of its tendency. I once saw a valua- 
ble collection destroyed this way, which makes me add this 
caution. The Chrysanthemum is sometimes propagated 
by dividing the roots ; this should be done in June, but the 
plants raised this way are never as good as those by cut- 
tings, nor their flowers as fine. 



CROCUS 



This is a bulbous rooted plant, perfectly hardy, and of 
easy culture. This family is composed of a great variety of 
sorts and colors, all natives of Europe. Their complication 
of colors in the early spring gives them a most agreeable 
and imposing appearance, particularly as it is one of the 
first flowers ; is easily propagated by offsets or seeds, and 
will grow in any garden soil without difficulty. 

To propagate from seed it is important to sow them as 



CROCUS. 89 

soon as ripe, in a pan or box, broadcast ; the seeds should 
be lightly covered and sprinkled with water and placed in 
the garden alongside of the wall, giving them a southern 
aspect, and keeping them moist until late in the fall when 
the pan or box should be removed into a pit until the spring. 
When the leaves appear, move them into the garden, pro- 
tecting them from heavy rains and sudden frost. In May, 
when the leaves die down, take off a little of the surface 
soil and put fresh in its place. The third year take them 
up and treat them the same as full grown corms ; the next 
year you may expect them to flower. The Crocus is gen- 
erally increased by offsets, which it will produce abundant- 
ly, and in most cases will flower the following season. 
The object in raising from seed is to produce new varieties, 
but the operation is somewhat tedious, and not advisable, as 
there are as many varieties now in cultivation as will satis- 
fy any reasonable person, for there are now in cultivation 
one hundred and twenty with names. The whole variety, 
one of each, can be purchased in England for one dollar 
and fifty cents. 

The Crocus does very well planted between the rows of 
Tulips, or in clumps in the border, diversifying the colors 
so as to make a contrast. The bulbs or corms should be 
dibbled in about two inches deep, and may be allowed to 
remain in the ground three years, and does well if the sea- 
son be dry, if rainy will be apt to rot. I have alv/ays found 
the best and safest plan was to take them up dry, and pack 
them in sand until October, aud then be planted the same 
time as other bulbs. It is frequently the case that many 
bulbs are brought to this country from Holland, and kept 
for sale at seed stores until spring-: persons should be cau- 
8 



90 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

tious in purchasing them after November, although their 
appearance is good ; if planted after that time they will, in 
most cases, rot, as the ground is then too cold to assist them 
in striking root ; that being the case, they will either rot or 
flower weakly and die at last ; it is like a man that has 
been so long without food that nature has exhausted and 
injured the vital part, nothing could restore that animation 
necessary to create or reinstate again the proper function to 
restore life. Bulbs of every description, if sold after the 
proper season for planting, are dear at any price, therefore 
purchase them at a proper season if you have to pay a 
higher price ; still you v/ill find them cheapest in the end. 



CANDYTUFT. 

(iBERIS AMARA.) 

This annual is an ornamental herbaceous plant, found 
growing in the chalky fields in England ; flowers in gene- 
ral during the months of June and July ; by planting the 
seeds at different periods they can be brought to flower dur- 
ing the whole summer. The leaves of this pretty orna- 
mental border flower are lanceolate, acute, variable in the 
toothing. The flowers forming a head, becoming race- 
mous, the husk being well formed, will drop the seeds, if 
precaution be not taken before all the flowers expand ; thus 
making it absolutely necessary for those who collect seed 
for sale to cut the stalk before two thirds of the flowers have 



CAND-VTUFT. 91 

expanded. There are some varieties of the Candytuft, na- 
tives of Candia, sweet scented and very desirable. 

This plant grows best in a rich soil, and if the seeds are 
sown in September, the plants, with a light protection, will 
survive the winter, flower earlier and more luxuriantly than 
if sown in the spring. Those kept through the winter will 
sow their own seeds and flower in the fall, thus securing 
the second crop of flowers in one season. This plant is a 
valuable hardy annual, well calculated for any garden. 



CHINA PRIMROSE. 

(primula sinensis.) 

" The piercing primrose, like sudden gladness, 
Gleams on the soul. — " 

This is a very desirable perennial evergreen, of late intro- 
duction, flowering from January to May, and is one of the 
first plants to cheer the green-house or parlor, making it one 
of the most welcome flowers we have, possessing much merit 
as a showy flower, setting aside its claim as an early one. 
There is a double variety in England, highly spoken of, 
which will soon find its way into this country. This plant 
differs widely from the English Primrose in color as u-.^^' 
as habit. The leaves of this variety are pninate, stem 
about three inches long and hairy. The scape about five 
inches with a truss of beautiful pink flowers to the number 
of twenty or thirty, if well grown. There is a vrhite vari- 



92 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

ety very showy ; both are well suited for the bouquet with 
the Camellia, Pelargonium, in the early spring. When 
this plant begins to ilower, it should be placed in a saucer 
of water, and it will bloom profusely through the season, 
but should be removed as soon as the plant begins to flower 
weakly. 

The China Primrose is increased by seed and by cut- 
tings ; if by seed the best time to sow them is as soon as 
ripe, in a rich soil, and when three or four leaves are formed 
they should be potted off into small size pots, and be shifted 
as they increase in size. To increase by cuttings, as soon 
as the plants have done flowering, cut each stem as near the 
pot as possible, into as many pieces as there are crowns^ 
plant them in a light rich soil in pots well drained, and 
place them in the shade ; keep them moist, and each wilJ 
root and make good flowering plants in the spring. In 
September each should be potted into five inch pots, and be 
remo-ved into their winter quarters. The soil best suited to 
this plant is one half leaf mould, the balance sandy loam 
and old manure from a cucumber frame. This plant m 
tender and must be guarded against frost ; the trouble at- 
tending it is but little ; it is a most profuse bloomer, and 
every way desirable for parlor culture, and should be prized 
as such. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM. 93 

CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

(annual.) 

Of this "beautiful variety of garden annuals there are three 
of rather prepossessing appearance. The one called the 
"Ox-Eye-Daisy" throws up a stem three feet high. The 
leaves are smooth and of a deep green color ; the flowers 
solitary and terminate, stem branching, generally flowering 
from May to August, seeding freely, and will grow in any 
garden soil ; the seeds should be sown in April. " The 
Com Marigold" is another variety of a more dwarf nature 
than the other, striated and branching. The leaves are al- 
ternate and varying in shape ; the branches terminate with 
large yellow flowers. Peduncles upright, calyx convex, 
scales ovate, glaucous, the inner ones with large mem- 
branous edges. This plant is also known as the Golden 
Corn Flower, Yellow Bottle, <^c., which arises from its beau- 
tiful golden color and brilliancy of appearance in the flower 
garden. Then we have the Tricolor, a native of Morocco, 
which also grows readily from seed or by cuttings, and will 
flower from July to October, 

When this variety was first introduced into Europe, in 
1 796, it was treated as a tender stove plant, but like the 
others it is now treated as a half hardy annual, and may 
be recommended as a fine garden variety of flowering plant? 
of easy culture in any garden soil, and of showy appearance. 



94 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

CAMPANULA. 

(PERSICIFOLIA.) 

*' The blue-bell by the meadow rill 
Is not more fair than thou, 
With thy downcast and thoughtful eye, 
Thy pure and gentle brow." 

This Campanula is a valuable appendage to the flower 
garden as well as the parlor, and is well known as the 
" Peach-Leaved Bellfiower^^ and what makes it more desir- 
able is, it will stand out of doors, if in the ground, all the 
winter, being perfectly hardy. The stem grows straight, 
about eighteen inches high; when in the open ground 
strong plants will attain two feet. This plant flowers in a 
thin spike of one and two together, on a long peduncle 
which has two stipules at the base. The corolla large and 
broad, bell shape, deep blue ; the segment short and acu- 
minate. The leaves similar to the peach, only more ser- 
rated. This perennial is a native of Sweden, and has been 
in cultivation in Europe ever since 1596. There are two 
other varieties, blue and white ; the latter more double than 
the former, which has not been cultivated over sixty years. 

These plants require a rich sandy loam, and are increased 
by dividing the roots in the fall. This Campanula, with 
good treatment, will flower nearly all the summer, and if 
kept in the shade the flowers will last much longer. Every 
lady should be furnished with this plant, it being ornamen- 
tal, of easy culture, and moreover, being evergreen, their ap- 
pearance is aiways interesting in the parlor as well as the 
flower garden. 



COLUMBINE. 95 

COLUMBINE. 

(aquilegia.) 

" Yes, lovely flower, I find in thee 

Wild sweetness which no words express, 
And charms in thy simplicity, 
That dwell not in the pride of dress." 

This splendid deciduous herbaceous plant is a perennial, 
and bears flowers of innumerable colors from May to July ; 
it is a native of this country and Siberia. Its habit is ex- 
tremely graceful, growing about two feet high, throwing 
its flowers well up above the foliage, which is covered 
with a viscid down, the spurs of the flowers incurved, giv- 
ing them a very interesting appearance. This plant, from 
its easy culture, has established a merit possessed but by 
few border flowers. The seeds should be so^vn as soon as 
ripe, or early in the spring, in any common garden soil, and 
transplanted in September. The flowers are well calcula- 
ted for bouquets in their season, on account of their grace 
and beauty. This plant is sometimes propagated by divid- 
ing the roots in the spring, which often kills them, a plan 
not advisable with a good fl.ower. The Columbine sports, 
and therefore produces, a great variety of colors ; the single 
variety is not worth garden room ; the second season is 
considered the best for flowering, being more abundant than 
any other year. When these plants are grown, innumer- 
able seedlings will spring up from the scattered seeds, 
which should be transplanted as directed. 



96 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

CARDINAL FLOWER. 

(lobelia CARDINALIS.) 

*^ Sweet flower ! for by that name at last, 
When all my reveries are past, 
I call thee ." 

This "beautiful perennial is a native of this country, 
growing and blooming to great perfection in swampy places 
in Indiana and Ohio^ and other parts ; it attains the height of 
two to three feet, bearing a spike of flowers of a bright 
scarlet in the month of July, and even to September. Such 
is the brilliancy of the colors, that the eye is dazzled with 
their splendor when the sun shines on them. It is surpris- 
ing that this plant, a native, and of such beautiful magni- 
tude, should not be more noticed than it is. In Europe it 
is grown to great perfection ; it is easily propagated by 
seeds or cuttings of the flower stem before flowering, and 
by suckers at the root in the fall. Seeds should be sown 
in the fall or early in the spring, in a pan or box ; the seed 
should never be covered with the soil, and the soil should 
be kept damp, and a rich loam is necessary to grow good 
plants. When the plants appear in the spring they should 
be kept in the shade to gain strength ; when of suflicient 
size, which will be in May, the plants should be potted off 
To propagate by cuttings, it should be done before the 
flowers expand, by taking the flower stems and cut them 
into suitable lengths, say two or three joints, stick them 
into a pan, and cover them with a bell glass, and admit air 



CARDINAL FLOWER. 97 

fis the cuttings begin to grow. To divide the roots or suck- 
ers, the fall is the best time ; protect them through the 
winter in a pit. This plant is naturally hardy, but protec- 
tion is best for those in pots. In the latter part of March, 
bring them forward and place them in a saucer of water ; 
being a swamp plant they should be kept as near its natu- 
ral state as possible, guarding them against the spring frost, 
and you will be rewarded with one of the finest displays of 
flowers in cultivation. This fine flowering plant, if the pro- 
duction of some foreign country, would be one of our lead- 
ing pot plants ; being a native, the florists of this country 
do not appreciate its merits. 



CARNATION. 

(dianthus caryophyllas.) 

" E'en then she seemed a lovely flower, 
Though fragile was the stem ; 
She stands in beauty's garden now, 
Its proudest diadem." 

The Carnation is an old established perennial of high 
reputation ; it is an evergreen herbaceous plant, flowering 
in June and July ; stem branching, flowers solitary, the 
leaves channelled and linear, possiessing all the attributes 
necessary for a florist's flower, at the head of which it stands 
pre-eminent. This flower was long supposed to be in- 
digenous to England, but of late its parentage is attrib- 

9 



08 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

uted to GermaDy : although its having been found in a wild 
state in some parts of England, is not sufficient proof, 
as the seed may have been dropped by accident. There 
are more grounds to suppose at this date that little is known 
of its wild state, for the first notice to be traced of this 
flower is that it was imported from Poland in 1597; even 
in that country it cannot be traced ; Germany being the 
nursery bed of so m.any beautiful flowers, I have no doubt 
that country is the origin of it, from whence it found its 
way to Poland, from thence to England. From the first 
introduction, this plant established an unrivalled merit as a 
first class flower, and may be considered one of the great- 
est gifts for the flower garden, notwithstanding there are 
many productions which nature has created for the enjoy- 
ment of mankind ; their fragrance is a gratification unsur- 
.passed, to our senses ; the graceful appearance of the flow- 
ers is all that is dignified, giving unlimited satisfaction to 
the eye in their beautiful arrangement of colors which are 
so diversified in their floral greatness. There are features 
in this flower not enumerated in many others, whether we 
consider it a garden plant that is in the bed or border, or 
even the parlor, during the blooming season, from its long 
duration in developing, and after the flower be fully ex- 
panded, that impresses the beholder with a sense of its 
magnitude. Yes! commissioned, as this flower is, to charm 
the amateur with fragrance, grace, beauty, and all the attri- 
butes appertaining to the choicest flower in cultivation, it 
matters not so much whether this country or that has the 
honor of its patronage, the florist must feel grateful, on re- 
flection, that we really possess it. To propagate this beau- 
tiful perermial from seed, is by no means a pleasing task; 



Carnation. 99 

it is filled with disappointment ; even when you procure the 
best seed from choice flowers, the probability is that you 
will get single flowers, or, if double, they may not prove bet- 
ter than a common pink, for we find that men who follow 
raising Carnations for sale as a living, that annually save and 
sow their own seed, completely fail. Take twelve of the most 
successful of these gardeners, and you will find on an aver- 
age that they have not raised six good flowers during their 
lives. With this fact before a person's eyes, it is futile for 
amateurs to throw away so much time and labor, besides 
expense, on such uncertainty, when all the varieties so de- 
sirable can be purchased, taking a choice of the labors of 
hundreds of gardeners for about two hundred and fifty 
years. When you have good flowers, the best way is to 
increase your stock by layering, just as the flowers are on 
the wane in July, and so continue through the month of 
August, but the sooner the better. The operation is per- 
formed in the following Avay : — the night before, or twenty- 
four hours previous, water your plants copiously, by this 
means your plants will be more pliable and bend to the 
opeTation with greater facility, if not, your plants will be 
britie, and snap oflj frustrating your object. The soil, 
where your plants are to be layered, should be light and 
rich, ori the surface in particular ; then get some sticks with 
a crock at one end, and the other sharp, to pin the part 
firmly to the ground ; when this is done, take a sharp pen- 
knife a: id make a slit in the lower part of the branch next 
to tho :3oi], commencing in the centre of a joint, cutting 
up the middle near to the next joint, then take the peg and 
fasten il to the ground, leaving the slit open, bringing the 
top of the branch as near upright as you can conveniently 



100 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

without breaking it off, then cover the plant about half an 
inch, continue in this way until you have layered as much 
of the plant as desired. In layering any plant it is best only 
to cover the joint, by this means the sun and air having 
their influence on them, will make them throw out root 
fibres more readily ; this is caused by the sap running up 
the shoot, and when descending, not being able to return 
to the roots, will naturally cause the slit to form fresh root 
at the joint cut for that operation. In layering the Carna- 
tion it is best to leave one branch not layered, for sometimes 
heavy and continued rains will rot them off, and you would 
lose your plants. You will find it best to make provision 
against extremes in the weather. After your plants are all 
layered, give them a gentle watering to settle the earth around 
them. In this country it is necessary to give them a little 
watering morning and evening, provided the weather is dry 
and warm. In about four or five v/eeks examine your layers, 
and if well rooted, they may be taken off and planted in the 
open ground to gain strength, until the latter part of Sep- 
tember, and then pot them off, one into a three inch pot or 
two plants into a four inch one ; the latter will take up less 
room for the winter. It is frequently the case in layering 
the Carnation that some of the branches will snap off, not- 
withstanding all the precaution used, when it will be 
necessary to pipe them, which is done in the following 
way : — get a large pan or box twelve inches across, and fill 
it with a rich soil, mixed with one third sand, then take 
your pieces to be piped and cut them clean off at the third 
joint, and throw them into a basin of cold water for about 
ten minutes, then water the soil to settle it well, then take 
a bell glass and mark its size on the soil ; this being done 



CARNATION. 101 

take the pipings and stick them into the soil within the 
mark of the glass; the pipings will readily enter with- 
out danger of breaking, for being immersed in water 
gives them firmness ; when all are in, give them a gentle 
watering to settle the soil around them ; when the grass of 
the piping is dry, put on the bell glass to exclude the air, 
and place them in the shade. It will be necessary to take 
off the glass occasionally to water them ; the glass should 
never be replaced while the plants are wet. When you 
perceive the plants begin to grow, you must begin to ad- 
mit air ; in about six weeks, the pipings, under favorable 
circumstances, will be ready to transplant, and may be 
treated the same as full grown plants. The Carnation is 
perfectly hardy in Europe, but requires protection in this 
country, as the rain and snow will destroy them, therefore 
they ought to be kept during the winter season in a dry 
place. The last of March, if the weather be fine, it will 
be necessary to take them out of their winter quarters, 
and pot them off singly, or plant them out in the open 
ground. If intended to flower in pots, the soil most con- 
genial for their prosperity is a rich sandy loam with a 
good drainage. If the pots are sunk in the ground to 
the rim until the flowers begin to expand, it will save 
much trouble ; then remove them into the house or a shady 
situation; it will preserve the flowers longer, and their 
colors continue more brilliant. When the plants are kept 
in the ground or in pots, as they spindle up to flower, they 
will require a stick, and be tied up as the stem advances. 
Most of the finest flowers have a tendency to burst out on 
one side ; should this be the case, take a sharp pointed 
knife and ease the opposite side to make them open evenl}^, 



102 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

or take a small piece of bass matting and tie it round the 
flower bud, this will preserve a good symmetry in their ap- 
pearance ; at the same time, water the plants freely in the 
pots w^hile the buds are swelling, and during the time the 
flowers are expanded. The Carnation is divided into three 
classes : — the bizzair has a white ground with stripes or 
spots of two colors ; flakes also have a white ground, with 
a stripe of one color running through the petal ; the 
picotee, or pencilled, have a white or yellow ground ; 
the edges of the petals are beautifully pencilled with pur- 
ple, crimson, or red, and considered by many the^ most 
enchanting. The character of the Carnation may be 
summed up in a few words : — the stem should be from 
thirty to forty-five inches high, the foot-stalk of the flower 
elastic and strong, the flower not less than three inches in 
diameter, well formed, the petals not too crowded nor too 
thin, the calyx strong, one inch in length, keeping the 
base circular, rising half an inch above the calyx ; the 
outer petals should be long and broad, rising perpendicular 
half an inch above the calyx, then reflex gracefully just 
enough to support or make suflicient room for the inner 
petals, giving the whole flower a convex, nearly forming a 
half globe. The outer petals, of course, should be the 
largest, and without notches or fringed. The picotee, in 
this respect, is an exception to this rule. The most propor- 
tionate colors in each petal, and free from spots, the bettor 
the flower. Pink, scarlet, and purple are the most prevail- 
ing colors in the Carnation : pink and scarlet are often 
blended in the same flower, but the scarlet and purple 
very seldom. When the plant is troubled with the green 
fly^ it should be syringed with soap suds, or take a camel's 



CARNATION. 103 

hair pencil and brush them off This plant is frequently- 
injured by the earwig and caterpillar destroying the flower 
buds ; if you find your plants troubled with them, you 
will readily find them on the plant after night, and they must 
be destroyed, or your flowers will ; therefore, watch them 
regularly, for it is a common occurrence to have the buds 
destroyed in one or two nights. 



CHINA PINK. 

(dianthus chinensis.) 

" On me such beauty summer pours, 
That I am covered o'er with flowers." 

This herbaceous biennial is a native of China, and 
flowers all the summer ; it is quite ornamental, and was 
imported into Europe one hundred years ago, and is easily 
propagated from seed. The stem branching, flowers soli- 
tary, scales linear, leafy, petals rather smooth and jugged, 
leaves linear lanceolate, thrives best in a rich soil. The 
beauty of this flower ought to make it a general favorite 
with amateurs. This pink is deficient in odor ; are we to 
this simple circumstance to attribute such wilful neglect ? 
if nature has withheld a fragrance, their beauty compen- 
sates for that deficiency, which is not the case in all flowers, 
nor is there a sameness in the flower, their colors differ- 
ing materially. This plant exhibits a w^onderful diversity, 
more so than any in cultivation, which is a great recom- 



104 A GUIDE TO PLORICTTLTURE. 

mendation to command general notice. In some respects 
this plant resembles the Sweet William, and at times I am 
inclined to think it a cross from that flower, though the 
flowering appears greatly difierent, as the one throws up a 
corymb of flowers similar in appearance to the head of a 
Cauliflower, when the Pink branches out with a single 
flower. The China Pink is susceptible of much improve- 
ment by hybridizing, and I recommend it to all lovers of 
showy flowers. The first season will enable you to judge 
the merit of the flower ; this, like most double flowers, will 
also produce some single, and those generally remarkably 
pretty ; that should be no consideration, throw them over 
the fence, save none but what are double. The second 
season, place some of your plants along side of the Sweet 
William, by which means the Pink will cross without fur- 
ther trouble ; this is styled natural crossing, as the pollen 
will scatter without artificial means, and the seed of the 
China Pink will produce a mule or hybrid ; the beauty oi 
the two combined makes one of the most magnificent 
plants in cultivation ; but the misfortune is they flower so 
luxuriantly, as to die at the close of the second season ; 
still there is a consolation, the mule Pink is easily obtained, 
this alleviates a portion of that regret we should otherwise 
feel. It is surprising that gardeners have never taken this 
flower under their care, for we see them cultivate flowers 
of less merit, and some scarcely worth picking up in the 
street. Does this not show a want of taste ? or can it arise 
from the easy manner in which it is propagated ? The 
seed of the mule Pink I could n«ver get to germinate ; this 
is frequently the case with hybrids that are double. To 
propagate the China Pink, the seeds should be sown in 



CHINA PINK. 105' 

March, in a rich, light soil ; when the plants are about one 
inch high, transplant them round the border, or in a bed ; 
the border is preferable, for when the flower expands, if 
single, it can be pulled up and replaced with some others, 
which would not appear so well if in a bed. Save none but 
double, for, rest assured, if you allow any single to remain, 
the seed of your double will be good for nothing. The 
benefit will result the second season, which is the best 
time to save seed, for the most double will seed more 
freely than those of the first. Seeds of the second year 
will produce unquestionably better plants, and will aver- 
age two-thirds double flowers, while those of the first 
will not produce one-third ; and if the single be allowed 
to remain in the bed, the probability is that all will 
prove single ; a want of this knowledge is why this de- 
lightful biennial has been neglected. The mule of the 
China Pink and Sweet William will generally produce 
their flowers so luxuriantly as to cover the foliage, im- 
parling a most gorgeous sight rarely seen in other 
flowers. The China Pink is perfectly hardy, still, like 
many other flowers, protection will improve their beauty, 
and flower earlier. 



106 A GUIDE TO FLOEICULTURE. 

CAROIINA PINK 

(SPIGELIA MARILANDICA.) 

" I love thee, yes, as flowers love light and air, 
As night to stars, or earth the glorious sun, 
As the cherished heart loves lone and earnest prayer, 
So I love thee ." 

This is a perennial, rooted, herbaceous plant, a native of 
this country. There is something prepossessing in the ap- 
pearance of this native flower, not only from the singularity 
of its appearance, but it may be considered ornamental 
withal, and is becoming a favorite. The root fibre-s branch 
and are thrown off some distance, and several stems arise 
from the roots about two feet high, with a spike of flowers 
of a beautiful carmine crimson, in the shape of a funnel. 
The flowers being situated all on one side of the stem, 
the weight of which bend it in a graceful form, consist- 
ing of ten to twenty in number. The leaves are opposite, 
without foot stalks, ovate, lanceolate, and smooth. The ca- 
lyx of the flower is persistent, with five long subulate serrate 
leaves turning back, of a yellow color, giving a contrast 
novel and striking to the eye ; the stamens short and insert- 
ed in a cup ; anthers oblong heart shape, the germ ovate ; 
style the length of the corolla, ending in a linear fringed 
stigma projecting beyond it; a double capsule consisting of 
cohering globular celled portions containing the seed. This 
plant has been used extensively for its medicinal properties 
as a cathartic, and in some cases has proved rather detri- 



CAROLINA PINK. J 07 

mental than beneficial ; this, no doubt, was through the ig- 
norance of pretenders in medicine ; from the general use it 
is in, there can be no danger in the hands of a medical man 
of good standing. As a vermifuge, the properties of this 
plant are excellent, as was well known to most of the Indi- 
ans upon the settlement of this country by the white people. 
Setting aside its medicinal properties, this plant is cuhivated 
with no trouble in any garden soil, and is a very desirable 
flower, and is bound to be a favorite in the garden. 



DOUBLE DAISY. 

(bellis perennis.) 

*' Thrice welcome, little English flower! 

I'll rear thee with a trembling hand ; 
Oh I for the April sun and shower, 

The sweet May-dews of that fair land 
Where daisies, thick as starlight, stand 

In every walk ! that here might shoot 
Thy scions, and thy buds expand, 

A hundred from one root ! " 

This was once a very popular perennial herbaceous flow- 
ering plant, and still has many admirers. A person trav- 
elling in England would be delighted to see in what per- 
fection the cottagers of that country manage them in a bor- 
der of the pleasure garden ; it is truly delightful, so unpre- 
tending the flower, yet how beautiful the appearance. 
There are no less than six varieties ; the most common is 



i08 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

called the "Hen and Chickens," from the circumstance that 
round the outer whorls emanate a great many small flowers, 
giving the whole quite an ornamental appearance, at the 
same time a singularity not easily described. The Daisy 
throws up a scape about four inches high, naked and single 
flowered ; the leaves being spatulate, obovate, crenate. 
This flower is but little cultivated in this country; this may 
arise as much from a want of knowledge of their culture as 
any thing else. The Daisy should be kept in the shade 
and be repotted spring and fall with what gardeners call 
maiden soil. This is easily attained by going into the 
meadows, and taking off the turf, then you come to the soil 
described ; but do not dig below three inches, after the turf 
is taken off. With the use of this soil, and a shady situa- 
tion, your plant will thrive. One thing is to be observed; 
you must consider this plant a parlor one, for it will not 
stand the severity of the winter in this country. It is in- 
creased by dividing the roots in the fall. 



DAHLIA. 

(georgina.) 



*' Her matchless wealth of beauty beggars all 
Our courtly dames can boast ! her queenly form, 
Her majesty of mein, would grace a throne," 

The Dahlia is a perennial of much beauty, and has cre- 
ated more excitement than any otlier flower since the Tulip 



DAHLIA. 109 

mania. It is tuberous rooted, throwing up a stem from two 
to eight feet high, depending on the kind, season, situation, 
and soil ; it bears innumerable quantities of flowers, beauti- 
fully diversified in color, from pure snow-white to black, or 
nearly so, with all the shades intervening; not only selfs, 
that is of one color, but some most magnificently variegat- 
ed, tipped, or striped. The stem branching and the leaves 
vary in shape nearly as much as the flowers. Although 
nature has given this plant great scope in variety of color, 
there has not been one produced of an azure blue, a color 
rarely found in any plant that produces a clear yellow. 
There are some exceptions to this rule ; the amateur should 
not be discouraged as it may be obtained ; if so, it would 
produce a fortune to the person that raised it, if sold in Eu- 
rope. The price set on the flower in this country, that is, 
on seedling Dahlias, is not commensurate to the trouble the 
merit of the flower would deserve. It is a formidable rival 
to the queen of flowers, the " Rose ;" in grace and brilliancy 
of bloom is its superior, and it only lacks perfume to prove 
its superiority to all others in the floral world. 

This gorgeous flower is a native of Mexico. It was in- 
troduced into Europe about fifty years ago, and was, by 
some mismanagement, lost; the seed was re-introduced 
again by Lady Georgina Holland, and was named after her ; 
but the name previously given was Dahlia, after a celebrat- 
ed botanist of the name of Dahl, which appears to retain its 
prerogative up to the present time. Humboldt, in his trav- 
els in Mexico, says it is found growing in the meadows and 
plains of that country, of all colors, but the flowers are sin- 
gle. Cultivation has made them double, the same as the 
Helianthus of this country, by which means the whole 



110 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

world has been bountifully supplied with the choicest 
kinds. Long catalogues are issued annually, containing 
many thousands ; and no flower ever cultivated has been 
the cause of more imposition on the public than this, aris- 
ing from tricks played on them by the exorbitancy of 
the floristj'which has consequently injured its reputation. 
Persons in the habit of selling Dahlias in England for gar- 
deners, have been compelled to sell with a warranty that 
the flower shall answer the description given in the cata- 
logue; in most cases of late the money has been refunded 
and the gardeners have been the losers by their " tricks in 
trade." We do not, therefore, see so many advertised now 
as several years back. There are not more than forty that 
are true to their character as represented ; the season has 
some effect on their perfection, and persons wishing to ob- 
tain a collection should see them groioing, and examine 
their habits. To select from a stand exhibited in any place 
is impolitic, for a plant may have but one good flower in a 
season, which may captivate your admiration, or the plant 
may be a shy bloomer, not worth garden room, thus creat- 
ing disappointment instead of pleasure. 

This interesting flower is easily raised by seed, or divid- 
ed at the root, or by cuttings. To raise from seed it is ne- 
cessary to sov\^ them in March, in a light, rich soil, and 
when four leaves are formed, prick them out and pot them 
separately until June ; give them every encouragement in 
their growth, and then plant them out ; treat them like other 
plants, and they will flower the first season. If you find the 
flowers single, throw them away. No plant is worth saving 
unless double and superior to any of the same color in cul- 
tivation. This renders the raising from seed rather di^- 



DAHLIA. Ill 

couraging to a young beginner, and in fact it certainly is 
poor business, as plants already raised can be purchased 
cheap, enabling a person to procure a good selection at a 
moderate price. 

The principal reason the Dahlia has not succeeded better 
in this country is, that persons having roots are anxious for 
early flowers, and generally take the greatest pains to defeat 
their object. Gardeners, to satisfy the public demand for 
early flowers, have been compelled, at the sacrifice of their 
judgment, to propagate for the sake of selling their plants. 
It should be observed that the Dahlia is an autumn not a 
spring flower, and should, therefore, never be planted in the 
open ground before June. If the rule here laid down be 
followed, there will not be that complaint which has here- 
tofore existed. There is no general rule without some ex- 
ception. It happens, sometimes, that early planting suc- 
ceeds, but only in rainy seasons ; for, if planted early, and 
we have a dry season, the plants will attain their growth in 
July or early in August, and consequently be attacked by 
the red spider. That insect lives and breeds on the under 
side of the leaves, which, for want of a proper circulation of 
sap, soon perish, thus defeating the desired object. In late 
planting, your plants will not attain their growth before 
the last of August, when the nights begin to get cool ; they 
will then flower more profusely, amply compensating for 
all the trouble bestowed on them. The best application for 
destroying the red spider is whale oil soap, two pounds to 
fifteen gallons of water, syiinged under the leaves as soon 
as they begin to turn yellow. 



112 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

TO PART THE ROOTS. 

This is the most advisable way to propagate for ama- 
teurs. In May, take the roots and plant them in the open 
ground, leaving the crown, or part where the eyes are situ- 
ted, out ; you will soon see them sprout, and, when suffi- 
ciently developed, take them up and divide the root with a 
knife, so as to leave one eye to every tuber. Then put 
them in pots until the time of planting, and water occa- 
sionally, just to keep them in a growing state. At the 
same time, be sure to keep the plants out of the reach of 
frost by covering them up, or you will lose them. 

TO CULTIVATE BY SLIPS. 

For this mode of cultivation it is necessary to prepare 
a hot bed, in April, of stable manure, in the usual way, as 
you would to raise early vegetables, and when the heat is 
about half spent, which will be in about ten days, put in 
the roots, leaving the crowns out of the soil. When your 
sprouts are three or four inches long, slip them off with 
the thumb, or a knife ; then place your slips in a thumb 
(two inch) pot filled with a light soil (only one in each 
pot), and return it to the hot bed, giving plenty of water, 
and only sufficient air to keep them from damping off In 
three weeks you will find them sufficiently rooted to be 
repotted into a larger one. They should then be placed 
in a frame and hardened gradually. In this way you may 
continue as long as your plants will sprout. Those sprout- 
ed first will make the best plants ; for the more the plants 



DAHLIA. 1 1 3 

are taken off, the weaker they will be. Plants struck with 
bottom heat will never produce such good flowers, or such 
healthy plants, as those struck in the open ground, and 
divided. 

THE SOIL. 

Much has been said and written on this subject. I have 
found a sandy loam to be the best for general culture. 
The Dahlia, like the Rose, will accommodate itself to 
almost any soil, still it must be admitted that art will make 
some difference in its culture, for if your Dahlias are selfs, 
that is, flowers of one color, such as Matchless (Weller's) 
Calliope, Admiral Stopford, Countess of Liverpool, and the 
like, to enrich the soil a little will make their colors more 
brilliant. For Dahlias of two colors, such as Alba purpu- 
rea. Striata formosissima, Bride's Maid, Lady St.Mauer, 
or any other variegated flower, if planted in rich soil, their 
colors will run, that is, the variegation will not be so dis- 
tinct as in a poorer soil. A sandy loam for general culture 
is best, and will retain moisture the longest, which in dry 
weather is desirable. 

After the Dahlias are planted, you will find if of great 
advantage to place old manure on the top for a foot around 
the plant, to keep the roots moist in dry weather. It would 
be a great advantage to drive your stakes prior to putting 
your plants in ; by this means you would not destroy the 
roots. Never allow but one stem to grow from one tuber. 



10 



114 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

TAKING UP ROOTS. 

In taking up your roots in the fall, it is frequently done 
too hastily ; you will find it of advantage, just before you 
expect a frost, to take a spade and cut the ends of the 
tubers,. This will not affect the flowers or the plant, but 
will have a tendency to ripen the tubers sooner. When 
the foliage is black with the frost, cut them down to within 
three inches of the ground, and lay the haulm over the 
roots as a protection from the frost. In eight or ten days 
your plants may be taken up ; but be careful and label as 
you take them up, to enable you to know one plant from 
another at any time. Place the roots in a room for about 
two weeks, to dry ; then pack them in a barrel with some 
hay, and then in a cellar or room out of the reach of frost. 

In the month of January, if the weather is mild, it will 
be necessary to examine the roots, and, if mouldy and 
likely to rot, they should be dried in the sun, and then re- 
packed. In the coldest parts of Europe it is a common 
practice to bury them in the ground like potatoes, a plan 
I would recommend to persons living in the country, who 
have no cellars. 



DANDELION. 115 

DANDELION. 

(leontodon taraxacum.) 

" Thine, full many a pleasing bloom 
Of blossoms lost to all perfume ; 
Thine, the dandelion flowers, 
Gilt with dew, like sun with showers " 

The Dandelion is a common weed on the commons and 
meadows. The outer scales of the involucre are bent 
backj the leaves runcinate, glabrous, toothed, throwing up a 
stem six inches high, with a yellow flower at the extreme. 
When the seed is ripe, it forms a ball, and each seed is fur- 
nished with a soft down, and is easily carried a great dis- 
tance in the air by the wind. This will account for the 
plant being so abundant in all directions. How frequently 
are the productions of nature used for the benefit of the 
living ; even to the assistance of the lover, for in their time 
of uncertainty do we see the fair sex, when anxious to 
know if the object their " soul holds most dear," retains one 
kind remembrance of them, will take the scape with the 
matured seed, blow it gently, and if there remains one or 
more tufts of seed, their soft and tender feelings, prompted 
by curiosity, seem satisfied that their anticipations are re- 
ciprocated, thus giving a decisive satisfaction, once mantled 
with fear, making their love flow more smoothly through a 
complication of uncertainty. 

Linnaeus considers this plant more regular in expanding 
its flowers than any yet known. On careful examination, 



116 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

it will be found to possess more perfection than is generally- 
accorded to it, because the familiar intercourse we have 
daily with this flower, deprives it of the attraction that 
scarcity alone could discover, and then it would be indis- 
pensable to the parterre. If the Anemone were placed 
alongside of this flower, setting the color aside, the Ane- 
mone would be considered the less attractive of the two. 
What operates against this plant is, its being devoid of agree- 
able order, and the color simple. Why should not cultivation 
improve this as well as other plants ? Attention to this 
particular has done much in many instances ; but the 
florist that would attempt to improve this flower, by taking 
it from its rural state, would meet with derision. Popular 
prejudice would be against him. While one might consider 
it ornamental, another might hold the reverse opinion, I 
cannot say my ambition would ever induce me to attempt 
to establish it in my garden, whatever its merits ; still that 
does not deprive the flower of any merit appertaining to 
so common a plant. Education has established a con- 
tempt that all the florists in the country cannot eradicate. 
I remember, that when in the country on a visit, at dinner 
there was a new variety of vegetables (so called) on the 
table, and my opinion was solicited in regard to their merit. 
I thought them quite agreeable, for early vegetables in the 
spring, and was greatly surprised when informed that they 
were the Dandelion. I found them much better than some 
purchased in market at a costly price ; yet, notwithstanding 
the agreeable flavor, my mind was so prejudiced, I could 
never be brought to eat them in the city, so strong is the 
effects of education. In this country, and in many other 
parts, this plant is popular for its medicinal qualities, being 



DANDELION. 117 

considered tonic^ diuretic, and aperient ; it has a specific 
action on the liver, resolving its chronic engorgements 
w^hen languid, and is used more especially v\rhen the de- 
rangement of the hepatic system and digestive organs are 
impaired. In chronic inflammation of the liver, or de- 
ficiency of bile, and dropsical affections, it is used with 
decided success. The Dandelion is generally used in the 
form of extract or decoction, by boiling the root (after slicing 
it) down to one half. 



FAIE-EYE 

(CALLIOPSIS.) 



Of this family of annual flowering plants, there is a 
great variety, flowering from June until cut down by the 
frost. They are natives of this country. Their general 
appearance is pleasing and showy, being hardy, erect, and 
branching, rather slender in growth, from one to two feet 
high ; the flowers yellow, with brown centre. The best 
of this variety is C. drummondii ; it is of dwarf habit and 
large flow^ers, not exhibiting that naked and loose appear- 
ance so apparent in the stem of other varieties. The whole 
of the Calliopsis will grow in any garden soil, and in bet- 
ter perfection if the seed be sown in September, as the 
young plants will survive the winter, and in the early spring 
can be removed to where they are wanted to flower. In 



118 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

addition to the annuals, there are several varieties that are 
perennial, equally ornamental, which require much tho 
same treatment as the generality of perennials. 



FOXGLOVE. 

(digitalis.) 

" The Foxglove and the fern, 
How gracefully they grow, 
With grand old oaks above them, 
And wavy grass below." 

The Foxglove is a beautiful perennial rooted, flowering 
plant, with rough leaves, throwing up an erect stem about 
three feet high. The flowers are spiked and numerous, at 
the same time very showy, bearing a beautiful purple 
flower, in their native state, while some in cultivation 
have receded from that deep richness to a bluish color. 
There is also a yellow, rather small and dingy, not worth 
the trouble of cultivating. The leaves of the Foxglove 
are ovate pointed, from four to eight inches long, and about 
half of that in width ; the foot stalk is short and winged, 
— the upper are alternate and lanceolate, and obtusely 
serrated at the edges, with a rough surface of a deep 
green color, the under part more downy than the upper. 
The flowers are numerous and connected with the stem by 
short peduncles hanging down ; each flower is of a bell 
form, or rather like the finger of a glove ; the inner side of 



FOXGLOVE. 11^ 

the flower is beautifully spotted with black, on a whitish 
ground ; the whole filament is surrounded by yellow an- 
thers; the style is simple and supports a bifid stigma; the 
seeds are contained in two celled capsules. 

The Foxglove is a native of the South of England, and 
delights in a shady situation, particularly under trees, but 
will grow very well in the open ground in any common 
garden soil. Under these circumstances it must be con- 
sidered a very desirable plant in the garden, and is so hardy 
as seldom to be injured by frost. 

To propagate it, the seeds should be sown in the open 
ground in April, and be transplanted to where it is intended 
to flower. When the plants acquire a few leaves, they 
will stand the winter, if sown in the fall ; but there is no 
advantage gained by sowing in the fall, as they will not 
flower any earlier. From the facility with which this plant 
is raised from seed, it is hardly worth while to divide 
the roots, as is often done with old plants in the fall. 
Seedlings will produce the best flowers, and my experi- 
ence leads me to consider it more as a biennial than a 
perennial. 

The Foxglove possesses medicinal properties, which 
should be known to those who cultivate it for ornament, 
as it may prevent bad results, as children at times will pick 
flowers and leaves and eat them, without the parent being 
aware of the danger. The flowers are without fragrance ; 
the leaves, when dried, acquire a narcotic odor, and are a 
•pale green, with a bitter and nauseous taste. When used 
as a medicine, they may be valuable in a skillful hand, but 
with empirics may prove a deadly poison. It often hap- 
pens that this plant, wh. a used as a medicine, will not act 



120 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

on the system as required; therefore, several doses are 
often administered before any action takes place in the 
patient ; this being the case, unless the physician be a 
scientific man, it may cause stupor or delirium, prostration 
of strength, and other symptoms, indicating the presence 
of a deadly poison. 



FORGET-ME-NOT. 

(myosotis palustris.) 

" Lay to thy heart this token-flower, 

With love's own tears its leaves are wet» 
T will whisper, in its dying hour, 
Do not forget." 

This beautiful little deciduous herbaceous plant is indi- 
genous in marshy grounds in England, and like other 
weeds, considered of little merit, until the florist points 
out its intrinsic beauty. The root is perennial, the calyx 
fine toothed, rather smooth, teeth equal, obtuse, as long as 
the tube of the corolla; leaves lanceolate, smooth, the calyx 
half the size of the limb of the corolla. It flowers from 
April to August, of a beautiful azure blue. Veronica 
clmiiKEclrys is often imposed on people not acquainted with 
the plant, for the former ; this is also a native of England ; 
the treatment of this is widely different. It is found grow- 
ing on dry banks, and flowers from May to July, throwing 
up a spike with ten to twenty bright blue flowers, nearly a 
foot high, possessing considerable merit for their beauty 



FORGET-ME-NOT. 131 

The genuine Forget-Me-Not is extensively cultivated in 
France, for the Paris market, and succeeds well, if kept in 
pots in a pan of water, making a pretty appearance in the 
window. 

It is easily propagated by dividing the roots in the spring 
or fall, and planting in a rich soil, requiring little or no 
attention further than pinching off the ends of the shoots 
to prevent its running over the sides of the pot ; for com- 
pactness sometimes makes a plant as beautiful as the flow- 
ers. We know that allowing plants to run too much, pre- 
vents them from flowering luxuriantly, which is the case 
with this plant Care must be taken to destroy the insects 
which are frequently found on them ; this is easily done, if 
attended to on their first appearance. The flower will 
sometimes sport to pink, or a dingy yellow ; this arises 
from some local cause. It may then be hybridized with 
some of the Alpine species, and new varieties may be ob- 
tained. In its native state, it is not known to sport. It has 
attracted more attention in France than its native country, 
l.nd is now almost identified with it, being found growing 
profusely on the banks of the Luxembourg, the peasants 
calling that stream the " Fairy Baths." 

There is a legend related of the origin of the name 
Forget-Me-Not^ which has immortalized this flower for e\^r. 
It appears that two lovers (as a matter of course Avhen 
lovers are in the tale it is enough to immortalize any affair, 
however trivial) were walking on the banks of the Danube ; 
the lady discovered the flower M. palustris, floating on its 
pearly stream, and was struck with its beauty, and ex- 
pressed a wish to possess it. The lover (unlike one of the 

present day), to prove his readiness to gratify his " lady 
11 



r 



122 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE, 

love," plunged into the stream ; his anxiety to serve was 
greater than his strength, and he found himself unable to 
reach the shore. He threw the flower to her, exclaiming, 
as he sunk, ^'■Virgils Mich NichtP The flower being 
so dearly bought, made her treasure it, as long as life re- 
tained its perogative in her bosom ; hence the cognomen 
« Forget-Me-Not:' 



FUCHSIA. . 

*' The flowers that grace their native beds, 
Awhile put forth their blushing heads ; 
But on the close of parting day 
They wither, shrink, and die away ; 
But those which mimic skill has made. 
Nor scorched by sun, nor killed by shade, 
Shall blush with less inconstant hue. 
Which art at pleasure can renew." 

This beautiful gem has not long been introduced inw 
Flora's catalogue ; and, if I am not mistaken, was first dis- 
covered in South America, where the exterior beauty of 
the flower attracted the eye of the botanist. I should judge, 
from its majestic appearance, it has not suffered by cultiva- 
tion. Those best known are F. mycrophilla, colvillii, 
coccinea, globosa, and longi flora superba. With gar- 
deners, these varieties were considered quite an acquisition 
to the flower department, but were eclipsed by the intro 
duction of F. fulgens, by Mr. Lee, of Hammersmith, in 



FUCHSIA. 123 

England, from Mexico, thence to this country. This 
plant, in appearance, is distinct from the ahove named 
ones. The leaf is about five inches long, and about 
three broad, of a bright green, and the underside a lit- 
tle tinged with purple. The flowers are produced at 
the ends of the shoots in clusters, are over three inches 
in length, of a light scarlet red, having the segment 
green, the inner portion of the flower a deep scarlet, and 
prepossessing. It is vigorous in growth, with tuberous 
roots, something like the Dahlia. The seed pod is nearly 
the size of a cherry, rather more oblong, and very deli- 
cious in taste, not unlike the fruit of the Cactus. The 
Fuchsia, being deciduous, will shed the leaf in winter, 
consequently may be easily kept in a cellar, or any place 
out of the reach of frost. Dr. Lindley suggested the pro- 
priety of crossing F. fulgens with F, globosa. Many nur- 
serymen took the hint. The result has been wonderful. 
The list has now swollen to about one hundred and fifty ; 
but in many cases the similitude is so great, that it would 
lead an experienced gardener into a labyrinth of perplexity 
to point out the difference ; yet all find names and advo- 
cates. 

So esteemed i-s this beautiful plant in England, that 
every new variety commands an enormous price as soon 
as it appears, which in a few years is reduced to a small 
oum by being supplanted by another new variety/. It is 
certainly surprising that this magnificent variety of plants 
is not more esteemed in this country, being easily cultiva- 
ted by seed or slips, in any common garden soil. The 
seeds should be sown in the spring, and, when about one 
inch high, should be potted oK Slips should be taken oQ 



124 A GUIDE TO FLORICXJLTTJRE., 

in the spring, which will root readily. Sometimes we see 
F. coccinea, commonly called " Lady's Ear Drop" in a 
parlor, with its graceful flowers suspended on the branches, 

"Beautifully fair, 
,As graceful in its loveliness as a maiden's flowing hair." 

The Fuchsia requires a shaded situation, being rather 
impatient of drought, but in the humid atmosphere of Eng- 
land, it will live in the open ground ; and some gar- 
deners are so wedded to this superb genus of plants as to 
form beds of the different varieties, with the tallest in the 
centre, placing an awning over them in the summer, 
to protect them against the sun's rays, and prevent the 
heavy rains from destroying them. By this means their 
flowering season is protracted for a longer time, and it in^ 
spires the spectator with delightful impressions. How 
ingenious the contrivance ; the labor of the constructor is 
sufficiently repaid by the gorgeous appearance of the flow- 
ers. Is it not delightful to reflect on the association of 
ideas advanced and practised to beguile our senses by such 
tasteful exhibitions. Floral devices will predominate with 
persons attached to flowers ; the very semblance brings to 
mind the following lines by Cowper: — 

*' How sweet to muse upon the skill displayed 
(Infinite skill) in all that He has made ; 
To trace in Nature's most minute design, 
The signature and stamp of Power Divine." 



GRAFTING WAX. 126 



GRAFTING WAX. 

The component parts of this useful and indispensable ar- 
ticle in grafting, &lc., is an equal part of bees-wax, rosin, 
and tallow, with sufficient tar to make it soft and pliable 
when heated over a fire. It may be laid on with a brush 
quite thick (blood warm); and before baking dry, should be 
sprinkled over with sand to render it impenetrable to the 
weather, otherwise it would be of little use. If intended to 
be worked with the hand, it should be made to the consist- 
ence of putty, by adding more wax ; this also should be 
used before cold. 



GARDEN PINK. 

.* (dianthus HOETENSIS.) 

** the wild Pink crowns the garden wall, 

And with the flowers are intermingled stones. 
Sparry and bright, rough scattering of the hills." 

This indispensable variety of flowering plants of late has 
been taken under the care of the florist, and has been much 
improved by art. It is an herbaceous perennial, flowering 
in June ; the stem branching, flowers solitary and termi- 
nal ; the scales of the calyx ovate and short, the leaves chan- 
nelled and glaucous. There are many doubts whether this 



126 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

flowe-r is a mere variety of the Carnation, or a distinct spe- 
cies of itself I do not pretend to be a botanist, therefore 
cannot tell if there really be a distinction between the two. 
I have saved the seeds of the Carnation and sown them, the 
result being nothing more to my comprehension, than Pinks, 
not one seedling having the least affinity to the parent plant. 
From this I should judge the Carnation to be a mere va- 
riety. Then, again, when we consider the risk of the Car- 
nation growers themselves, that are in the habit of saving 
and sowing their own seeds, it being mere chance when a 
Carnation is produced. It is considered that if a grower 
raises one new variety in his life time, he may be a for- 
tunate man. 

The difference most perceptible in the Carnation is, that 
it is more robust than the Pink ; whether there exist in re- 
ality a difference is as yet unsettled with the florist ; but so 
far as public opinion is concerned there is a difference. 
They should, therefore, be treated as separate plants. Of 
the Pink there are many varieties ; all are not florists' flow- 
ers. Of the common kinds, the "Pheasant's Eye" is tho 
best, and the treatment of one is applicable to all but the 
fine kinds, which are managed like the Carnation. The 
Pink is more hardy than the Carnation, and will strike 
more readily from cuttings. This has been the principal 
way of propagating them, until recently, when it was dis- 
covered they would grow readily from slips, and make 
stronger plants in less time than by pipings. 

To propagate from seed, the best plan will be to sow 
them in March, in pans or boxes, and when six leaves are 
formed, transplant them into a bed about four inches apart, 
and in September transplant them to where they are intend 



GARDEN PINK. 127 

ed to flower. The Pink will never flower to that perfection 
it would do, if removed after that month. The best time to 
slip Pinks is early in the spring or the last of August. 
They must be shaded until the plants begin to grow. If 
you increase by pipings it should be done in June, or the 
beginning of July, in the following manner : — Take a large 
pot or box, fill it with a light rich soil, one third part sand 
and well incorporated ; let the receiver be full to the top, 
and water it well with a watering-pot. This done, take 
the pieces intended for piping, and cut them through the 
third joint from the end with a sharp knife, and trim the 
tops if you wish to plant them thick ; they should never be 
closer than one inch each way. As you cut the pipings, 
throw them into a bowl of water to give them firmness ; 
then take a bell glass and mark its size, the same as recom.- 
mended for cuttings; then insert the pipings about half 
their length, and gently water them to settle the soil. 
When the grass is dry, put on the glass to exclude the air, 
and remove them to the shade. 

The glass should never be placed on until the grass is 
dry ; this precaution must be observed whenever you water 
them. If close covered they may not require any for the 
first ten days. The soil must always be kept damp, and 
when you perceive the pipings begin to grow, admit air by ^ 
degrees. Should the weather be favorable, and proper at- 
tention be paid to them, in about six weeks the plant will 
be sufficiently rooted to transplant. They should then be 
treated the same as full grown plants. The soil for Pinks 
should be a rich sandy loam. In the latter part of March 
loosen the soil around the plants without disturbing their 
roots, and place some sifted manure around them, which 



128 A GUIDE TO FLOmcULTURE. 

will much improve their flowers. When the plants begin 
to spindle up to flower, the safest way will be to put sticks 
to them and tie them up, as their stems will be brittle ; this 
will prevent accident. The character of the Pink is simi- 
lar to the Carnation (with the exception that its dimensions 
are much smaller) ; it flowers nearly at the same time, from 
June to July, depending entirely on the season. 

The Pink is easily crossed, as it seeds freely, wtth the 
exception of the larger and very double kinds. The pro- 
cess of crossing should be performed very early in the 
morning ; and the pollen should be transferred to the flower 
two or three times in the day. If the flower begins to 
fade within twenty-four hours after the operation, you may 
conclude your object has been effected. A mild day is the 
best for the operation. A large bed of Pinks make one of 
the best shows known in the floral line. Their fragrance 
is delightful, surpassing all conception. The Pink is most- 
ly cultivated for the beauty of its flowers ; but the Clove 
Pink is the one selected for medical purposes, possessing a 
strong aromatic odor, which resembles the clove ; the taste 
is a sweetish bitter, and astringent. The properties of the 
Clove Pink are easily extracted with alcohol or water, and 
by distillation a fragrant oil is obtained, which is used with 
other medicine. In Europe there is a great trade made in 
this line of business by the cottagers, in whose gardens this 
evergreen perennial can be seen during mid-winter, when 
every other plant is suffering by the inclemency of the 
winter. 



GERANIUM. 129 

GERANIUM. 

(pelargonium.) 

*' Thine excellence is of a rare degree, 
Though praised by others, 'tis unknown to thee ; 
In humble deeds of love, and kindly care, 
To these earth's riches own no share ; 
By acts of mercy, all unseen of men, 
By silent victory over pride and sin. 
By faith, and hope, and charity on earth, 
Thou provest to others thy transcendent worth." 

On this beautiful -variety of evergreen perennials mucli 
eloquence has been lavished by many writers, and justly 
so, for no green-house plant will better justify the grower 
in having a house devoted to them in particular. This will 
enable the florist to b?:ing them to that perfection that could 
not be attained in a house of mixed plants. No flower sells 
better in the market than the Geranium. This is suflicient 
proof that it is a general favorite. There are extensive cata- 
logues containing many hundred with names. There is a 
great sameness of colors in man^T-j yet all are cultivated as 
choice florist's flowers. In making a selection, a person 
should go into some exten-sive establishment, and select 
about twenty that may be distinct ; beyond that number the 
amateur should "not go for distinct ones. 

The Geranium was originally imported from the Cape 
of Good Hope into diflerent parts of Europe, where the in- 
dustry of the florist made it manifest their skill had been 
put in requisition, from the vast number of hybrids pro- 



130 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

duced. Some of the old varieties possess an agreeable odor; 
but are inferior in flowers, and unworthy of being placed in 
a good collection. It is observable that when nature has 
been chary in awarding a sweet and delicate perfume, 
she has been more lavish in their beauty, which has been 
the case with this. It has not only beautiful flowers, but 
they often appear in large trusses, making some of the plants 
appear a perfect sheet of beauty. Hybridizing was not so 
well understood until the father of that system (Mr. Sweet, 
an English florist) commenced. Colvill, Dennis, and Garth 
afterwards appeared, and still propagate. By their indus- 
try we get new varieties annually ; and it is to be hoped 
they may meet with a corresponding remuneration. 

The Geranium is of easy culture, generally speaking, 
though some hybrids are more difficult than others, without 
a propagating house. When this is the case the amateur 
should abandon them for other varieties. The seeds should 
be sown in the spring, in a pan or box of light rich soil, 
and when the plants have formed six leaves, pot them sin- 
gly into two inch pots, and regularly water them. When 
the pots are filled with roots, shift them into one a size 
larger, and in the fall into one of four inch, giving them a 
good drainage, and treat them the same as full grown 
plants. In February the plants should be shifted again 
into one a size larger, and the top soil removed without dis- 
turbing the roots, and fresh soil put in and watered to pro- 
mote their growth. In Julj?-, after your plants are done 
flowering, cut them down, and repot the old roots into a 
three inch pot ; the plant will flower tolerably well the next 
season. The tops should be converted into cuttings by cut- 
ting them through the fourth joint from the top with a sharp 



GERANIUM. 131 

knife, and trimming the leaves ; then stick them round the 
pan as previously directed for cuttings ; place them in the 
shade and keep them moist, and in six weeks they will be 
well rooted and ready to pot off, and be placed into their 
winter quarters. The cuttings will flower to perfection 
in the spring, which makes it necessary to propagate every 
season. 

The Geranium is tender, and will not stand frost, and 
should therefore be kept in a place where the cold will 
never be below the freezing point. Should the thermome- 
ter fall to 26® Fahrenheit, where your plants are, remove 
them into a dark place, when the frost will come out grad- 
ually. No ill effects will then result ; but if you take them 
into a room where light is, and the room warmer than 
where frosted, you will lose your plants ; neither does this 
plant like a damp place for the winter, which is injurious. 
The Geranium should never be placed out of doors before 
the last of May, when all danger of frost is over. All these 
little items should be borne in mind by the amateur, as one 
night may derange all your hopes. 

The soil best suited for this plant is one third rotten ma- 
nure, from an old cucumber bed, and two thirds sandy 
loam, well incorporated and exposed to the weather for three 
months before used. The season of potting will depend 
more on your plants than any set time, as you must be 
guided by circumstances. July is the best time to cut them 
down, or they may be delayed until August if you have ta- 
ken cuttings. When your plants are attacked with the 
green fly, you must either smoke them, or make soap suds 
with whale-oil soap ; the latter is the safest plan, and done 
with the least trouble. 



132 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

GIADIOIUS. 

(gladiole.) 

This charming genera of bulbs is a native of the Cape 
of Good Hope, and is deservedly one of the most interest- 
ing we have in cultivation from Africa. It is now attract- 
ing much notice among florists, and many new hybrids 
have been added to the list, that are beautiful. The com- 
mon Gladiolus has been in cultivation for some time, and 
is known as the " Sword Lily," on account of the forma- 
tion of the leaf G. communis and G. hyzanthus are the 
oldest varieties, and are hardy. G. cardinalis and O. 
fioribundis are more tender, and decidedly more splendid, 
as the devebpment of their flowers will manifest. 

The Gladiolus is easily propagated by seeds or off 
sets. It is useless to raise from seed with the expecta- 
tion of new varieties, unless the flowers are impregnated, 
for the seed will produce none but its own kind ; artificial 
fecundation must therefore be attended to, if you wish new 
varieties. 

The seed should be sown in pans in August or Septem- 
ber, and should have the morning sun only, and care must 
be taken that the rain does not rot them. In October the 
pans should be removed into a pit or green-house until 
April, and then exposed to the open air, but must not be 
allowed to freeze, when the seeds begin to grow. In the 
fall, when the leaf dies down, take them up and pack them 
in sand until the following April, then plant them in a bed 
by themselves in a sandy loam soil. These seedlings will 



GLADIOLUS. 133 

not flower until the third or fourth year, when the labor 
you have bestowed will be fully compensated with some- 
thing new, and in all probability, interesting. These 
bulbs, with the exception of the two first named, should 
not be planted until the danger of frost is over, for without 
due caution, you may lose your bulbs. If early flowers 
be the object, plant them in pots to forward them, and keep 
them in the house or pit, from thence to the garden in May. 
These bulbs increase readily by offsets, some varieties mo.re 
than others. G. communis and G. byzanthus should be 
planted in October, and will stand the winter and flower- 
early. 



GLOXINIA. 

" Who can paint 
Like Nature? Can imagination boast, 
Amidst this gay creation, hues like hers ? 
And can he mix them with that matchless skill, 
*• And lay them on so delicately fine. 

And lose them in each other, as appears 
In every bud that blows ? If fancy then, 
Unequal, fails beneath the pleasing task, 
Oh I what can language do." 

This beautiful plant is a native of South America, and 
has hitherto been treated as a tender stove plant ; but on a 
better acquaintance with its habits in cultivation, this has 
been clearly proved not to be the case. It is easily culti- 
vated by any amateur ; and indeed such proofs have been 



134 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

adduced as have thoroughly convinced those of the " old 
school" that by a different treatment, better and more 
gorgeous flowers are now produced than when treated as 
a stove plant. 

The Gloxinia was named after a botanical writer by 
the name of Gloxia, and was deservedly bestowed in 
honor of his deep researches into the nature of plants, so 
■ much so that he was considered the most enlightened 
I person on that subject. The great secret (if such it may 
be called) in its culture, is placing it in a state of rest, 
which we find applicable to all tropical plants. The shape 
of the flower is somewhat between the Bignonia and the 
Canterbury Bell, but it hangs down like the Foxglove, and 
the ribs or stripes impart a richness not easily described. 
I think that by impregnation the field of improvement 
in raising new varieties must be great, more particularly 
as this genus of flowering plants continue to produce 
magnificent and unsurpassed flowers during the whole 
summer, making it one of the most desirable bulbs in 
cultivation, and to those acquainted with their culture, one 
of the easiest. 

In order to obtain this plant on the cheapest scale, it will 
be necessary to sow the seeds in March, in a light, rich 
soil, and if forwarded in a hot bed, they will frequently 
flower the first summer. When your plants are of sufii- 
cient size, that is, when your plants have formed about the 
fourth leaf, transplant them into four inch pots, and keep 
them in a moderately shaded situation, and sufficiently 
watered to keep them in a growing state. In September 
begin to give less water; in November cease altogether, 
and place them in a pit or dry cellar, free from frost, and 



GLOXINIA. 135 

'et them remain dormant until spring-. In the month of 
March, it will be necessary to shake the dirt from them, 
and repot into one of five inches, with a good drainage; 
let the soil be such as you can procure from some ra- 
vine in the woods, composed of rotten wood and leaves, 
intermixed with the sediments washed from stones, which 
form like sand ; the bulbs should be planted nearly on a 
le vei with the soil. 

These plants are found on the margin of woods, in their 
native country, and we should imitate their nature in soil 
and habit as near as possible, to induce them to flower pro- 
fusely. After being potted, it will be found necessary to be 
careful in giving them water, until several leaves are 
formed; then you may occasionally water over the foliage 
until the flov/ers begin to show, which will be about the 
last of May. If a small portion of guano were mixed 
with the water, I have no doubt benefit would result in 
making the plants more vigorous, and the flowers more 
strikingly beautiful. 

The cultivation of flowers prompts us to endeavor to 
find the easiest mode of propagation. The following will 
be advantageous to beginners : — By sowing seeds, if the 
flowers are impregnated, we raise new varieties ; when 
these varieties are fine, either in color, shape, or size, then 
we commence propagating them ; and what is singular ia 
the Gloxinia is, that if you plant any part of the leaf, pro- 
vided the rib in the middle be attached, it will soon form 
itself into a bulb, and make a good flowering plant the 
next season. It also seeds freely, and ere long we shall b« 
furnished with catalogues as lengthy as those of the Fuch- 
sia. This plant does not in reality require so much atten- 



136 A GUIDE TO FLOmCULTURE. 

tion as many others of higher reputation, but of less in- 
trinsic merit, for when they flower, nothing more is re- 
quired than watering when necessary, and the beauty of 
the flowers possesses all the requisites desirable to enchant 
our admiration. It would be a great improvement to place 
moss on the top of the pot which would give the flowers 
a better contrast, and take off the rough appearance of the 
soil. 



HOLLYHOCK. 

(alth^a rosea.) 

" Thy long lost praise thou shall regain: 
Dear shall thou be to future men, 
As in old times ; — thou, not in vain, 
Art Nature's favorite." 

This is an old but one of the most beautiful deciduous 
biennials of our flower garden, flowering from July to 
September. It is a native of China, and is of the Marsh 
Mallow tribe. Before the Dahlia mania became so great, 
it was the most attractive border flower in England ; still, 
however beautiful the Dahlia may be considered, the Hoi- ' 
lyhock has not lost any of its ornamental beauty, for let 
the season be rainy or dry, this flower still retains its 
beauty and vigor. Not so with the Dahlia. Fashion may 
have reduced the demand for this plant, but its beauty is 
still pre-eminent, and will retain its place in the heart of 



HOLLYHOCK. 137 

those fond of good flowers. This plant will grow some- 
times eight feet high ; the stem is upright and hairy, the 
leaves cordate, fine, seven angled, crenate, rugose. The 
flowers axillary, sessile. The natural color is red, but 
there are now over twenty colors enumerated in this varie- 
ty, and this change has been effected by the industi'ious 
bee, going from flower to flower, elucidating the following 
lines : — 

" From the nectaries of hollyhock, 
The humble bee, e'en till he faints, will sip ;" 

Then crossing and recrossing until this flower may be 
considered at the ne plus ultra of perfection. These flow- 
ers, when placed in a stand, like Dahlias exhibited for 
show, have a beautiful appearance, equal to any flower 
cultivated. 

The seed should be gathered on a fine day and preserved 
until spring, and then planted in any garden soil. In no 
case should a single flowering plant be allowed to grow 
in a collection if you pride yourself upon a good one. 
When the young plants are of suflicient size, transplant 
them into the borders, around the garden, in cloudy 
weather. From the nature of their growing tall, their 
appearance will be the most conspicuous, and not inter- 
fere with plants of more humble growth ; the soil should 
not be rich, or your p^lants Avill spindle up too much. The 
second season you will be enabled to judge the merit of 
the flower, and if not well formed and double, pull the 
plant up and try again another season ; by this mode you 
may get a choice collection^ and when your object is at- 
tained, and you wish to keep them, you must divide and re- 
12 



138 A GUIDE TO FLORfCULTURE. 

move the plants every fall, or they will run out. There 
are many plants that delight in being removed ; the Holly' 
hock is one of that class. 



HIBISCUS 



Of this family there is a great variety, "both annual and 
perennial. Of the annuals, the African and Manihot are 
best known in the flower garden, being considered very 
showy plants, and quite distinct in appearance, which is 
not the case with the whole variety. The Chinese variety 
does not do well except in the Southern States. This is to 
be regretted, as their beautiful scarlet flowers make them 
a desirable plant for the green-house. Of the perennials 
most cultivated, are the White and Pink, both magnificent 
plants, exhibiting large flowers, about five inches in diam- 
eter, beautiful and bold. The misfortune is, they last but a 
day ; but as they continue to open others, some amends are 
made for the shortness of their duration. They are propa- 
gated by seeds, or by dividing the roots, and should be 
planted in the border. If the seeds are sown early in 
the spring, they will frequently flower the first season, 
and improve in size and beauty, as the plant advances, for 
the first five years, while it still retains its noble appear- 
ance undiminished. It is devoid of fragrance. It grows 
tall; is best planted around the border, like the Holly- 
hock, and needs no further care after being transplanted 
than cuttiiifr off the flower stems when done flowering. 



HELIOTROPE. 139 



HELIOTROPE. 

(heliotropium peruvium.) 

" There is a flower whose modest eye, 
Is turned with looks of light and love, 
Who breathes her softest, sweetest sigh, 
Whene'er the sun is bright above." 

This is one of our general favorites, and is much culti- 
vated in the green-house, an-d the parlor. It was discov- 
ered by Jussieu, a celebrated French botanist, in Peru. 
Along the Cordilleras it is found very plentiful, diffusing 
its delightful fragrance, from whence the seeds were collect- 
ed and sent to France. By this means, it found its way 
into the parterres of the fashionables of Europe. This 
plant is ornamental, sweet scented, and flowers nearly the 
whole year, making it one of the most indispensable in 
cultivation. The leaves are oblong, lanceolate, in appear- 
ance much like the common sage of the garden ; it is 
shrubby in its natural state, with spikes of flowers, numer- 
ous, aggregate, corymbose, and of a bluish lilac color. It 
generally attains the height of two feet ; will grow readily 
from cuttings taken off early in the spring, until fall. It is 
in nature tender, a-nd must never be left out of doors in 
frosty weather, or it will be destroyed. In the spring, 
when all danger of frost is over, it may be turned out of 
the pot into the open ground, and will grow luxuriantly, 
and make quite an imposing appearance with its large 
corymb of beautiful flowers. The last of September this 



140 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

plant should be taken up and potted (the soil a rich, sandy 
loam), watered, and brought into the house. This flower, 
when planted in the open ground, like the Sunflower, will 
turn with the sun ; but in cloudy weather it will droop. 
The situation most desirable in the open ground is, where 
the sun can have all its influence on the plant. As a pot 
plant it is desirable in any room. 



HYDEANGEA. 

(hydrangea hortensia.) 

This is another of our universal favorite flowers which 
is to be found in the humble dwellings of the poor, as well 
as the mansions of the v/ealthy. It was first introduced 
into the King of England's garden at Kew, about sixty 
years ago, and was imported from China by Sir Joseph 
Banks. The flowers of this perennial rooted plant, in its 
primitive state, are of azure blue, but cultivation has 
wrought a change in their color. It flowers all the sum- 
mer, the cymes are radient, leaves elleptical, narrower at 
each end, toothed, and smooth. It does not fall to our lot 
to see them in their natural color, which necessarily incar 
pacitates us from judging correctly if culture be in reality 
an improvement or not. The circumstance of its turning 
blue so seldom makes one of that caste truly desirable. I 
have tried several compositions to change the color of the 
flowers, but without eflect. 



htdrangea; 141 

The Hydrangea is one of the few plants that appear to 
thrive even when no care is taken of them. Still I would 
not advise or advocate such looseness in any person that 
has the least pretension to the culture of flowers. I re- 
collect an anecdote of a nurseryman in London, who was 
celebrated for selling blue Hydrangeas, which commanded 
a great price, for several years ; but all at once his stock 
run out ; he had none but pink. It appeared, in the sequel, 
that he had purchased several loads of peat soil, with which 
he potted his plants, little suspecting the effect its quality 
would produce on his flowers. When the blooming season 
arrived, he was agreeably surprised at the effect. This in- 
duced him to keep the balance expressly for that purpose ; 
and, as long as any of the soil lasted, he Could meet all 
demands. To his mortification, he could not find the man 
of whom he purchased, neither could he procure any soil 
to produce the same effect, consequently he was in the pre- 
dicament of Othello, "his occupation gone." I have no 
doubt from the greediness of the plant, that soil procured 
from marshy grounds, dried and sifted, would be good. It 
is said that iron filings will turn the color of the flower. 
If such be the case, why not a yellow sandy loam of a red- 
ish cast, be good, which contains a certain portion of iron ? 
This is easily to be obtained from the brick yards. Turf 
laid by for a year to rot, is a good composition, mixed with 
rotten leaves. In short the plant will grow in almost any 
soil, but the color is difficult to change. 

The Hydrangea, is of easy culture, and will strike root at 
any time, when not in a state of rest ; this is from the time 
the leaf begins to drop until the buds swell m the spring. 
The best time to pot the plants is in March, and instead of 



142 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

shaking the soil from the roots, as with some plants, take 
a large knife and cut the roots off, leaving a ball in the 
centre, containing the main body, of the size of a large ap- 
ple. Then take your compost and fill the pot, placing the 
ball with the plant in the centre. I would not advise a 
large pot, as it would be better, in the month of June, to 
shift the plant, without disturbing the roots, into a pot 
larger. By adopting this plan, your plant will become more 
thrifty, and bloom more beautifully with a larger head of 
flowers. 

This plant, possessing such a desire for water in the 
summer, should be kept in pans made on purpose, and be 
filled every day or two, and be kept in the shade, for the 
sun or want of water will make them flag. In the begin- 
ning of October, take them out of the pans and water them 
sparingly until the middle of November, then place them 
in a cellar, and water once in two or three w^eeks, until 
March, when you must bring them forward, re-pot, &c., 
but guard them from the spring frost. 

The Hydrangea is hardy, and will stand out with pro- 
tection, but will flower better if kept in the house. It is 
injured more by the sun than frost ; avoid both. 



HONEYSUCKLE. 143 

HONEYSUCKLE. 

( CAPREFOLIUM PERICLYMENUM.) 

'* That sweet Honeysuckle which 
Is fair as fragrant ." 



The Woodbine wild, 



That loves to hang, on barren boughs remote, 
Her wreaths of flowery perfume." 

This delightful, fragrant shrub, is a native of Great 
Britain, and is found growing- wild in the hedges and lanes 
of that country ; flowering from May to July, and filling 
the air with the most delightful and pleasing fragrance 
known (particularly after a shower), far surpassing the 
Sweet Brier. The flowers are capitate, terminal ; the leaves 
deciduous, distinct. 

This plant, although common in England, is cultivated 
much as a shade, giving rusticity to the poor man's cottage, 
imparting life and simplicity, as well as ornament. Of the 
Woodbine Honeysuckle, there is a large family found in 
almost all countries, and the major part are well calculated 
for the trellis, affording a good shade, or they can be nailed 
to the side of a house. This family of plants is well 
calculated for the open flower garden. 

The Woodbine family should be trimmed every season 
to make them flower better, and not allowed to straggle. 
They should be fastened well in case of rain, or their 
weight will break them down. This family of decidu- 
ous shrubs is easily propagated by cuttings in the spring or 
fall, or by layering ; and will grow in any common garden 



144 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

soil. When by age or otherwise they become naked for 
some distance from the ground, injuring their appearance, 
cut them down to within a foot of the ground ; this will 
make them put out young wood near the roots, and in the 
following season they will flower again. There is an ever- 
green variety {Lonicera Jlexuosa), that flowers all the sea- 
son, which may be considered the best of this family. It 
is a native of China, and should be treated the same as 
others. The beautiful dark green foliage of this last named 
variety is a great ornament, but in the winter quite the 
reverse. 



HYACINTHINE. 

(gRIFFINIA HYACINTIIINA.) 

This beautiful exotic, better known as the ''Violet 
colored Griffinia," is a native of Brazil, and was first im- 
ported into Europe in 1815. It bears some alliance to the 
Amaryllis family. The climate of Europe is too humid 
for it, but no doubt in the delightful clime of the Ohio Val- 
ley, it could be brought to great perfection. This rare and 
valuable plant is thought to possess considerable beauty. 
The color is a rich blue, the same used by some of the 
ancient painters, made by the calcination of the stone 
called lapis lazuli, therefore not to be surpassed ; this rich- 
ness and softness of tint are perceptible in this flower 
alone. Its magnitude and novelty of color, with a 



HYACINTHINE. 145 

pleasing physiognomyj make it indispensable in the grf^t n- 
house or parlor. The leaves are two or three, rt'-cunu. . . 
ovate, oblong, prettily veined, crossing the longiiuajn..! 
nerves, being thus both novel and interesting ; flowers in a 
sub-capitate umbel funnel shape, and gaping, composed of 
six segments of pure v^rhite in the centre, with a delightful 
broad ultra-marine blue margin. 

The Hyacmthine does not grow over a foot high ; a de- 
sirable height. It should be grown in five inch pots, well 
drained in a maiden soil, with a small portion of sand. 
This, like all other South American plants, requires a time 
of rest, which is during the winter months, when it must 
be kept from frost. It needs no water while dormant. In 
the spring, when the bulbs begin to grow, give a little wa- 
ter as the plant increases in growth, also increase the quan- 
tity, and when in flower and while perfecting its foliage, be 
liberal in the supply ; upon this depends much of your 
success in growing and flowering it to perfection. This, 
combined with a clear atmosphere, will make it one of our 
best bulbs in cultivation. When the leaves die down, it 
can be either re-potted or packed away until spring. The 
bulb should never be placed over one third deep in tha 
soil. 



13 



M6 A QUIDE TO FLOKIOtJLTDRE. 

HYACINTH. 

(hyacinthus ORIENTALIS.) 

*' Shade loving Hyacinthus ! thou comest again. 
And the rich odors seem to swell the flow, 
And the lark's song, the red-breast's lonely strain, 
And the songster's tune, best sung where wild flowers blow, 
And ever sweeter where the sweetest glow." 

This very prepossessing bulbous flowering plant is a 
native of the Levant, and is quite common about Bagdad, 
where it flowers very profusely in its native state in the 
spring, at the same time as with us ; being highly fragrant, 
makes it very desirable. The bulb is glabrous, succulent, 
sending forth a scape with a spike of flowers of funnel shape, 
half six-cleft, ventricous at the base ; some are single and oth- 
ers double ; the latter, strictly speaking, is the Florisfsjiower; 
but the single are gaining favor fast, and more sought after 
for early flowering in glasses. The double is certainly 
more desirable for beds or borders of the flower garden. 
The single emits its fragrance more sensibly, and its spikes 
are more studded with bells than the double, and for 
this reason they are more sought after, to flower in 
glasses. 

The Hyacinth has been cultivated in Europe above 
three hundred years, and was imported by the Dutch orig- 
inally from the Levant ; and it appears that the climate of 
Holland, more especially about Harlem, is more congenial 
to its culture than any other part of Europe, and the Dutch 
florists have bestowed much pains on it. It appears that 




>x 




Hyacinth. 147 

the first double flower was produced by one Peter Voer- 
helm, during whose life a double Hyacinth was worth 
about five hundred dollars in the Harlem market ; since 
that time a single root has been sold for one thousand dol- 
lars. The roots increase fast, and the mania being carried 
high, competition caused a considerable decline in the 
trade ; but, of late, bulbs have been sold as high as fifty 
dollars. Catalogues are published annually, both in Hol- 
land and England, containing about two thousand, with 
names, from a clear white to what is called a black. Blue, 
pink, and white are the predominant colors, both single 
and double. Yellow is not common, therefore rarely met 
with ; what is so called in the catalogues to the contrary 
notwithstanding. 

Could we see a bed of these enchantingly fine flowers, 
it would fascinate us to such a degree, as probable to give 
a distaste to cultivate on such a small scale as we are com- 
pelled to. The bulbs brought to this country and sold, are 
nothing but the refuse of the Harlem market ; still our 
ideas on the subject being somewhat limited, make them 
appear more beautiful than they otherwise would. I do 
not consider any place that does not receive the benefit of 
the salt water breeze, altogether congenial to the culture of 
the Hyacinth ; there are some situations more suitable than 
others. The Hyacinth in this country, does not flower 
well over one or two years. Eight years ago, when in 
Europe, I selected some choice flowers from diflerent estab- 
lishments, and the first season they flowered well ; so that 
my expectation was fully realized. As they increased fast, 
I disposed of some ; the balance were planted in my gar- 
den with the same care as the first season, in full expecta- 



148 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUEE. 

tion of their continuing fine ; but my surprise was great, 
when I found them the second season, worthless. I then 
surmised, from their degenerating, that the climate was not 
congenial, which opinion has been strengthened by expe- 
rience. It is still my impression that if the bulbs could be 
acclimated, the obstacle would be obviated. I then com- 
menced planting the small offsets, saved from the large 
bulbs ; some flowered the first year ; in the second, I took 
them up and replanted them into another bed, at the proper 
season, which appeared to answer well, until the fourth 
year, when the season was rainy and nearly the whole rot- 
ted. Thus my golden dreams vanished, and in some 
measure I was satisfied it was fallacious to cultivate them, 
unless renewed every season, with fresh imported bulbs at 
a cheap rate. Still, it would be as well for others to try 
from offsets, for my being unfortunate is not sufiicient proof 
that others should not succeed, I should therefore recom- 
mend their being planted in a rich sandy loam, from the 
middle of October to November, in an open, airy situation, 
in a bed four feet wide, which will enable a person to weed 
from either side with facility. Have your bed of any 
length, according to the number of bulbs to be planted. 
Plant seven across at equal distance, and nine inches apart 
the other way. When you are ready to plant, make a 
channel five inches deep, and lay the bulbs on sand, which 
will prevent water from stagnating or settling against them ; 
and also keep the bulbs warm ; when thus placed, draw the 
soil over them, and when the cold weather sets in, cover 
the bed with manure, or tanner's bark, about one inch 
thick, to preserve the bulbs from the severity of the frost, 
and the deleterious effects of heavy rains, both being detri- 



HYACINTH, 149 

mental. In the beginning of March, if the bulbs begin 
to grow, and the weather is mild, it will be necessary to re- 
move the protection from the bed by degrees, as some- 
times we have hard frost in this month, which would check 
them much. In April, the scape will begin to appear, and 
about the time the flowers begin to expand, it will be 
necessary to tie them to a small stake neatly, as the rain 
will beat them down, and destroy the beauty of the corolla, 
or bells. 

The Dutch florists' plan is to take the bulbs up about 
four weeks after they have done flowering; but in this 
country, they had better remain until the foliage is entirely 
destroyed. Some people are desirous of flowering Hya- 
cinths in glasses, which, probably, from their not succeed- 
ing better in this country, is the best plan ; to effect this 
object, it is best to plant the bulbs in the open ground in 
October, to remain there about six or seven weeks, to in- 
duce them to throw out root fibres more regularly. Then 
take them up, wash them clean, and put them in " Hya- 
cinth Glasses " (made for the purpose), and fill up with 
soft water, so that the bulb will be immersed about a quar- 
ter of an inch; change the water whenever it becomes 
fcetid ; they must be kept in a warm room, for if allowed to 
freeze, your glasses will break. If the bulbs are not buried 
before placed in the glasses, it will be necessary to put 
them in a dark place for some time after, otherwise they 
will not throw out root fibres regularly, nor look so well, 
nor bloom so fine. Bulbs can be put in glasses until the 
middle of January, with tolerable success. Hyacinths, thus 
treated, seldom flower the second year. If you wish early 
flowers, plant them in pots. They will make a good ap- 



150 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



pearance in the parlor, and will do nearly as well as if 
planted in the open ground, provided you do not give them 
much water. You can forward them by plunging the 
pots in a hot bed, but if forced that way, they will be good 
for nothing afterwards. 



ISMENE AMANCJIS. 

This beautiful bulbous rooted plant is a native of Aman- 
caes, near Lima, in Peru. It is found in all parts sur- 
rounding that place in gi*eat splendor ; a fine, rich, deep 
yellow flower. It sends forth a scape about thirty-six 
7nches high, with several flowers six inches long, and about 
four inches across, and its delightful fragrance makes it 
very desirable in all collections of Lileacses. 

The bulb is not large, and to grow it in perfection re- 
quires a sandy loam, and a medium size pot. Like all the 
Ismenes, and its tribe, it requires a season of rest. This 
plant is much celebrated in Peru on the 24th of June 
(when in bloom), by the natives of that country, as the 
Hawthorn is in England on the 1st of May ; perhaps more 
so, for the churches in Peru are decorated with it at 
that season. 

This plant was named Ismene, after the daughter of 
CEdipus. It is scarce in this country, but is cultivated 
in England to great perfection. For a fine description 
of this flower, I refer the reader to a book entitled " A. 
Visit to the South Seas," by C. J, Stewart, M. A, 



mis. 151 



IRIS 



The German peasant wreathes with flowers in rich attire. 
For sun-tressed Iris weaves for him her urns of fragrant fire; 
But we have a holier gem our lowly home to illume,— 
The flowers of love our lattice lights with undecaying bloom." 

This is a very numerous family of plants, useful as well 
as ornamental in our flower garden. The Persian {Iris 
persica) is a very pretty bulbous rooted plant, and being of 
a dwarf growth, is suitable for pot culture, more particular- 
ly for being rather tender. These bulbs are often brought 
to this country with others from Holland, and have been in 
cultivation over two hundred years ; they are easily raised 
in glasses, like Hyacinths, or in pots. This flower is a 
delicate blue and violet color, of great beauty and fra- 
grance, the latter predominating so much that one plant 
will perfume a room. If raised in pots, the soil should be 
a rich sandy loam ; and if potted in November, they will 
flower early the following spring. 

To raise them in the open ground will require consider- 
able trouble, for the frost and rain are alike injurious; 
neither does tbeir beauty attract observation so much, on 
account of its dwarf-like appearance, as when in a pot. 

The Snake\-head Iris (Iris tuber osa) has been in culti- 
vation much longer than the Persian ; this is also imported 
from Holland. It does not succeed well in this country, 
being hard to vegetate. This, no doubt, arises from being 
kept out of the ground too long. The Chalcedonian Iris 
(Iris susiana) has striated leaves, with a stem about on^ 



152 ' A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

foot high, of the most beautiful species, the leaves sword 
shape, the stem erect, with one flower. It flowers in June, 
and is a native of the Levant, w^hence it was imported in 
1596. This species requires the same treatment as the 
Persian. The Spanish Irish (Iris xephium) is a native of 
Europe, and is often imported into this country ; the leaves 
awl-shaped, channelled; stem two flowered, corolla blue 
and yellow, petals narrow, height two feet. This bulbous 
rooted plant has been much improved by culture. 

We have about four kinds in cultivation in this country. 
The most common is the blue ; but in England, where the 
greatest attention is paid to their culture, their li-sts amount 
to upwards of fifty, of all colors and shades, and their 
prices vary from twelve to eighteen cents each. The Great 
Bulbous rooted Iris {English Iris) is much larger than 
the Spanish ; the flower stalk is about twice as high, with 
flowers in proportion, and equally as prolific in variety of 
colors. They can be purchased in London at one dollar 
per dozen. The time to remove these bulbs is from Au- 
gT]gt to September J and they should, never be kept out 
of the ground more than six weeks, as it will aflect their 
bloom. 

The two last named varieties seed abundantly, which 
should be sown in drills 'as soon as ripe, and the plants 
will appear in the spring. The fourth year they will 
flower, thus repaying a person well for his trouble, as 
no attention is necessary but weeding, and a light pro- 
tection during the severity of the winter weather. These 
bulbs should be removed every third year, for if allowed 
to remain in the same place a longer time, they will work 
their way into the ground, and be entirely lost. 



ICE PLANT. 153 

ICE PLANT. 

(mesembryanthemum crystallinum.) 

" Chaste as the icicle 
That's curdled by the frost from purest snow, 
And hangs on Diana's temple." 

This is a singular plant, and is much esteemed by the 
ladies. It is a deciduous trailer, with large oval leaves, 
acute, frosted, three nerves beneath. The root is biennial, 
and is generally cultivated as an annual for the parlor. It 
does best in the open ground where it will cover a large 
space, but should be potted in the fall and brought into the 
house, as it will not stand the winter in the open ground. 
When the sun shines on this plant, it appears to be covered 
with ice, and to the eye is both brilliant and novel. The 
pellucid studs surrounding the stem in the summer appear- 
ing like ice, gives the plant all the novelty desirable for 
the culture of ladies ; besides it is a plant requiring but 
little attention. It will grow in any garden soil, and in 
almost any situation, requiring but little attention after the 
seeds are sown in the spring. A full exposure to the 
sun is best, as it displays its beauty more perceptibly. 
When the young plants have formed four leaves, trans- 
plant them separately into two inch pots, and, as the plant 
increases, shift them into one of four inch, or plant them 
into the open ground. If for pot culture, make a trellis 
of some sticks for the plant to be fastened to. The flow- 



154 • A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUEE. 

ers of this plant are white, possessing no particular beauty. 
Cuttings can be taken off in the fall, and will root readily 
if not over watered. 



INK FOR ZINC LABELS. 

" Take one drachm of verdigris, one drachm of sal 
ammonia ; powder half a drachm of lampblack to ten 
drachms of water, mix them well together." This will 
make a first rate article for writing with, and will super- 
cede the old plan of placing names on sticks. 



INDIAN CRESS, STERSION. " 155 

INDIAN CRESS, STERSION. 

(nasturtium.) 

" Then springs the hving herb, profusely wild, ^ 

O'er all the deep green earth, beyond the power \ 

Of botanist to number up their tribes ; 
Whether he steals along the lonely dale. 
In silent search ; or through the forest, rank 
With what the dull incurious weeds account, 
Burst his blind way; or climb the mountain rock. 
Fired by the nodding verdure of its brow; 
With, liberal hand has nature flung 
Their seeds abroad." 

This very useful plant has been under cultivation two or 
three hundred years, and was first discovered in Peru. It 
is known there as the Mastraco cle Peruj and with us by 
the common name of Stersion. The first account we have 
of this species, is under the botanical name of Trapceolum 
major and minor. It was cultivated for salad, possessing- a 
warm flavor, not unlike our common cress ; from this alone 
arose the name of Nasturtium. The berries were used for 
pickles, gathered when young and tender, and by many 
considered equal to Capers. Of late it has been more cul- 
tivated for its flowers than for other purposes. The most 
common of this species is the yellow, the first introduced for 
cultivation. We have now added to the list, an orange 
color ; a blood-red, very rich in appearance ; a new spotted, 
so termed by florists, but in reality striped ; orange scarlet 
color, and sweet scented, which makec the variety desirable 



156 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

in every garden. There is also a double variety, which is 

cultivated in the green-house, but is rare in this country, us 

well as many others. 

We have now to record another new variety in color, 

Tropccolum azureum^ which was first discovered by a Mr. 

Miers, in his travels in Chili ; the thing appeared so impro- 
bable among florists, that little confidence was placed in the 
statement, for it was regarded by those versed in colors, as 
matter of doubt, whether species of flowers that produce a 
pure yellow, as the Stersion, could also produce the blue. 
No analogy could be found ; for instance, we have the dou- 
ble yellow Dahlia, but no blue ; a blue flower may sport to 
red or white, but not to yellow. Again, yellow flowers may 
sport to white, or red of different shades, but not to blue. 
The primitive color of the Hyacinth is a blue ; we often 
see catalogues with yellow ones in it, but it is a pale yellow 
ochre color, not a bright yellow. We have the yellow 
Rose, but who ever saw a blue one ? Neither have we 
seen the yellow Pelargonium (Geranium). But to the sub- 
ject; we have to state a fact, that TropcEolum azureum^ a 
blue Nasturtium, has been introduced into England by a 
nurseryman of Exeter, which was discovered by a Mr. 
Lebb, near Valparaiso, in South America. From the no- 
velty of such a plant, being in opposition to the long argued 
system of metamorphosis of colors in flowers, it commands 
a high price. 

All of this tribe will grow readily from cuttings ; but in 
propagating that way, the plants are shy in seeding. This 
plant, strictly speaking, i's perennial, but is cultivated as an 
annual, except the double variety; and, of course, the blue 
will be cultivated the same way for years to come. 



STERSION. 157 

To propagate this useful and ornamental running plant, 
the seed should be sown early in the spring, and fastened to 
a trellis. It is a great bloomer (provided the soil be not too 
rich), and will continue to bloom until the frost destroys 
it. The plant does not seed freely until the evenings be 
gin to be cool. When the seeds are wanted for pickling, 
they should be picked as soon as full grown and plump, 
while tender, leaving some well formed berries for seed. 
The flowers are frequently used in garnishing dishes for the 
table, and make a very good appearance in a large bouquet 
with other flowers, for the table or mantel piece, through 
the summer. If grown by cuttings, and kept in pots through 
the winter, they should have a rich sandy loam, and be wa- 
tered sparingly in December and January, and in May be 
planted in the open ground, where they will thrive in al- 
most any soil ; sandy loam is preferable to any other. 



IPOMCEA COCCINEA. 



Who poured the richest hues, 



In varying radiance, o'er thine ample brow, 
And like a mesh those tissued stamens laid 
Upon thy crimson lip — thou glorious flower 1 

This, as well as all of the Ipomoeas, bears m great analo- 
gy to the common Bind Weed (Convolvulus), the latter 
being annual, while the IpomoBa is a perennial, and gene- 
rally fusiform rooted. They are generally natives of the 
West Indies, while some few are natives of this country. 



158 A GUIDE TO FLORlCULttJRE. 

/. coccinecb requires to be sprouted in a hot-bed, to make it 
flower early. It will grow readily by cuttings, and so will 
the whole tribe. They are decidedly ornamental. This 
variety is a beautiful orange scarlet, quite novel in color. 
It flowers in June, and lasts until late in September, when 
the roots should be lifted. The leaves of the Ipomcea are 
generally cordate, accuminate, and angular at the base. 
The peduncles are five flowered. The calyx vvarted and 
bearded, though there may be some little variation in some. 

There is one of late introduction, wdth fine purple flowers, 
/. learii ; also 1. granclifiora^ which has large white flowers, 
with acute petals. To enumerate the whole tribe would be 
consuming too much time and space. Nearly all deserve 
the fostering care of the florist ; they are certainly some of 
the most desirable trellis flowering plants we have, as their 
tendrils will catch without trouble, and the shade produced 
is light and airy, at the same time showing their graceful 
flowers to advantage all the summer. 

The Ipomosas are raised by seeds, like the Convolvulus, 
but must be protected from frost ; being perennial, they will 
not flower until the second year ; they are therefore best 
kept in a dry situation during winter, where the rats or mice 
will not disturb them. They may be preserved with Dah- 
lia roots. 




JACOBEAN LILY. 159 

JACOBEAN HIT. 

(SPREIKELIA FORMOSISSIMA.) 

" I can find treasure in the leafy showers, 

Which, in the merry autumn time will fall ; 
And I can find strong love in buds and flowers, 

And beauty in the moonlight silent hours. 

There's nothing nature gives can fail to please, 

For there's a common joy pervading all." 

This genus of flowering bulbs is better known under the 
name of " Jacobean Lily," and is an old variety of flowerino- 
bulbs. It was imported from South America, where it is 
found in its pristine state about ravines. The cardinal beau- 
ty of this flower alone, has established the merit of its posi- 
tion as a desirable plant, and worthy of cultivation in every 
collection, however limited a person's tribe of Amaryllidess 
may be. It may be considered as tender, and if planted out 
in the open ground in April or May, will flower well. The 
tube is fringed, corolla nodding, with a very ringent limb ; 
stamens included in the involute of the lower segments. 
In October, when the foliage will be sufficiently matured, 
take them up. The leaves should be dried gradually in a 
room, and then packed away until the following spring. 
This bulb, like the Amaryllis, flowers before the leaf or 
grass is expanded; and such is the rapidity of its growth, 
that the flower stem will be up and the flowers expanded, 
taking you by surprise, in a few days ; and if planted in a 
rich soil, they will frequently throw up two stems with sev- 
eral_ flowers at a time, with such imposing rich crimson 



160 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

scarlet colors as to surpass any velvet in comparison with 
their richness. The flowers are not so compact as the Am- 
aryllis tribe, but their richness of beauty fully compensates 
for that deficiency. 

The cultivation of Spreikelia formosissimd is generally 
confined to pot culture, in which it will do equally as well 
as in the open ground. They will require attention, and a 
shady situation, if confined to the pot. It is said, if you take 
up the bulbs in the summer, and cut ofi'the foliage and root 
fibres, and plant them, they will flower again the same sea- 
son. I should be loath to vouch for its correctness, having 
never tried the experiment, but heard the above related by 
an experienced gardener. If true (which I have no reason 
to doubt), it must necessarily weaken the bulb, and prevent 
its flowering the following season; no benefit could be 
gained by such an experiment. 

I would suggest to those who wish to flower these bulbs 
in pots, that after their object is attained, the blest plan 
would be to sink the pot under ground, as the bulbs would 
mature their foliage better ; for the flowering of the Ama- 
ryllidjE tribe depends more on the state of ripeness the leaves 
attain, than almost anything else. Their flowering the 
following season depends wholly on what state of perfection 
the leaves are brought to ; it is useless, therefore, to expect 
perfection, unless the foliage be well brought forward, which 
is not apt to be the case if retained in the pot. The Ama- 
ryllis does not produce well if planted under the soil, which 
will account for bulbs generally not flowering. 

Spreikelia formosissima was formerly called Amaryllis 
formosissima, but their treatment is different from the Ama- 
ryllis^ although it may be a species of that tribe ; you must 



JACOBEAN LILY. 161 

place the bulb two inches deep from the surface soil. This 
bulb is increased by offsets, not by seed, although the pollen 
is perfect and abundant, a circumstance that appears singu- 
lar ; whether arising from the climate or what other cause 
I am at a loss to tell. 

" And now remains 
That we find out the cause of this effect, 
Or rather say, the cause of this defect, 
For this effect defective comes by cause." 

These bulbs can be purchased for twenty-five cents each, 
a sum within the reach of every person who has the least 
pretension to the culture of flowers, even if not in possession 
of a flower garden. 



JAPAN ROSE. 

(camellia japonnica.) 

" Glorious Camellian blooms to find, 
In the jealous realms of far Japan, 
Or the Epedendron's garland twined. 
Round the tall trees of Hindostan." 

This is one of the most superb exotic plants we have in 
cultivation, and endowed with natural beauty; it is not only 
interesting, but valuable in our estimation. It is moreover 
from a country to which we are indebted for some of our 
choicest gems in floriculture, 
14 



iG2 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUEE. 

i 

In this country the Camellia is a green-house plant. A 
closer association with this delightful exotic, is a sufficient 
proof that it will do as well in the parlor, and far hotter in 
a pit ; but it will not flower as early, and will withstand 
considerable frost. In England it is frequently planted in 
the open ground, but it would not answer in this country ; 
the cold nights in the spring are generally accompanied by 
very warm sun through the day, which is enough to kill 
any plant 

It was originally imported from China and Japan, and is 
a species of the Tea Plant. The name Camellia was given 
in honor of G. J. Kumel, a celebrated botanical writer of the 
last century, whose name in Latin was Camellus. There 
is great symmetry in the form of the leaf, which is a beau- 
tiful dark green, with a fine gloss, giving the plant a fine 
appearance at all seasons. Were the leaves not so dark 
there would be some resemblance between it and the Orange 
Tree. The flower in some respects resembles the Rose of 
the garden ; hence arose the name of " Japan Rose." There 
appears a formality in them, as if made of wax ; still their 
hues are so blended as to defy art to imitate them. 

On its first introduction the colors were limited, but the 
skill of florists has succeeded in hybridizing them so as to 
produce hues innumerable. This has made the plant in- 
dispensable in all green-houses, not only as a valuable ac- 
quisition for the appearance of their flowers, but as an arti- 
cle of profit, by cutting their flowers in the early spring. 

This delightful evergreen is cultivated to greater extent 
in some parts of Europe than England ; for I perceive, by 
a catalogue issued by Mr. McKay, at Leige, that he has 
two hundred and ninety-four varieties in his collection, being 



JAPAN ROSE. IG3 

twice as many as in any establishment in England. Many 
new varieties have been raised in this country ; several of 
them, I perceive, have been added to the English collection, 
being considered first class flowers. Such is the reputation 
these flowers have attained in this country, that it will not 
be many years before our florists will have a greater list of 
good flowers than any in Europe. 

There are several methods of propagating this plant, but 
I will confine myself to the most approved. To raise from 
seed, it will be necessary to sow them as soon as ripe ; some 
Camellia growers prefer sowing them in February, keeping 
them in sand until that time ; either will do. Plant the 
seeds in the centre of a small pot of rich soil, and keep them 
rather moist. Unless you use bottom heat, the seed will 
not come up for twelve months : it will generally flower 
the third year. If you discover one of superior merit, in- 
crease it by inarching on the stock of the single variety. If 
your plant be single, keep it to inarch on. 

Stocks for inarching are increased by cuttings from the 
the single red or white, as well as seedlings. To increase 
by cuttings, it will be necessary to lake them off the last of 
July, or beginning of August, at a joint or bud. Young 
wood is preferable, if not too tender ; it should be inserted 
in a pan filled with soil, nearly one half sand, and must be 
covered with a bell glass. They will strike more readily 
if placed in a bark bed. The following spring your plants 
will begin to grow, and may be potted off carefully in the 
fall. 

When of sufficient size, say from March to August, they 
should be, inarched; this is considered the best and most 
approved way to propagate valuable and scarce varieties. 



164 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Take the plant intended to propagate from, and place it on 
a bench where it cannot be disturbed ; then take a knife 
and cut a piece about two inches long from the side of the 
branch intended for the stock ; then take the stock, and cut 
it in the same manner as you did the other plant, and as 
near the same size as possible ; when this is done, take the 
scion and stock and place them together ; then tie them 
with bass. Be particular and make the bark of each 
meet; cover both with grafting wax, to exclude the atmos- 
pheric air from the wounded parts. The stock must be 
placed on a bench higher than the large plant, and in such 
a position, that neither can be disturbed, or it will fail to 
unite. A great nicety is required in the performance of the 
operation. It must be done in a careful way, or you will 
not succeed. In six weeks examine the plant, and, if 
found to be united, tie it up again, for fear of accident, for 
three or four weeks longer, when you may cut off the 
head of the stock, and separate your plant from the parent, 
with great care, to avoid accident ; then dispense with the 
bandage, and treat the plant the same as an old one. 

The first season, allow no flower buds to grow, as it will 
weaken the plant. The process of inarching is easier de- 
scribed than performed, for unless a person has seen the 
operation performed he had better pay an experienced gar- 
dener for instruction. The Camellia is frequently in- 
creased by budding, which is much practised in France 
with decided success, and is meeting with approval 
amongst florists in this country. Every eye or bud 
makes a plant, and the budding can be performed at 
any time when the bark parts freely. During this opera- 
tion, the plant should be kept in one degree of heat ; it 



JAPAN ROSE. 165 

is immaterial whether bottom heat be used or not, so long 
as the place where the plant is kept, be uniform. 

The operation of budding the Camellia is performed in 
the same way as fruit trees. I find the Camellia will grow 
as well in rich sandy loam as any soil, and it should be 
potted every year or two, at the farthest, giving a good 
drainage at the time. The spring is the best time to attend 
to it, immediately after done flowering. 

The Camellia is a plant that requires a deal of water at 
most seasons, and it should be watered over the foliage 
every evening through the summer, to prevent the red spi- 
der from infesting it. In the winter, it is best to keep 
them in a pit to save trouble, prior to which wash the 
plants all over with soap suds, and syringe them with clean 
water. To those who have no pit, the parlor will do ; the 
degree of heat in the room should be as uniform as possi- 
ble, rather cool than hot, just above freezing point, giving 
them as much air as possible in mild weather. The 
Camellia will flower from January to April ; if in the 
green-house, earlier ; but it can be brought to flower at 
almost any season. In the summer, the plants should be 
kept in the shade, receiving the benefit of a free circulation 
of air, and the night dews. 



166 A GUIDE TO PLOKICULTOEE. ' ~ 

JAPAN LILY. 

(funkia alba.) 

This Lily is a beautiful border plant, and has passed un- 
der the cognomen of " Japan Lily," until lately, when bota- 
nists have discovered it does not belong to the Hemerocallis 
tribe of plants. It is a native of China, and has been 
much esteemed for its fragrant flowers. The roots are 
tuberous, and of easy culture, being quite hardy, throwing 
up a stem in July, with a number of white fragrant flow- 
ers. Its fragrance is equal to the common White Lily. 
The leaves are a light green, deeply ribbed ; foot stalk of 
about four inches, which is generally cut down with the 
first frost in the fall. 

This plant is easily propagated by seed, or dividing the 
roots in the spring or fall ; if by seed, they should be sown 
in a pan, or box, and be protected through the winter, and 
brought forward in May. In the fall they should be potted 
and treated the same as full grown plants. It does not do 
so well by pot culture, as in the open ground, as the plant 
sends its root fibres deep into the soil. As a border plant 
it is desirable, and delights in a rich, sandy loam. There 
is a blue variety, but the flowers possess no fragrance, or 
particular beauty ; it is therefore not so desirable as F. 
Alba. 



JASMINE, 167 

JASMINE. 

(JASMINUM.) 

" Then, how serene ! when in your favorite room, 
Gales from the Jasmine sooth the evening gloom." 

Of the Jasmine there are several varieties in cultivation, 
both in the hot-house as well as the green-house. The one 
most generally cultivated is J. officinale, a fine ornamental, 
deciduous, climbing plant, bearing white flowers of a deli- 
cious fragrance, making their appearance in June, and 
which continue until checked by the early frost. The 
leaves are pinnate and acuminate ; the heads generally up- 
right. This desirable fragrant shrub was introduced into 
Europe in 1546, and was little known, except by reputation, 
until the latter part of the seventeenth century. This v\^as 
owing to the selfish disposition of the Grand Duke of Tus- 
cany, at Pisa, the only person known to possess the plaiit. 
Nor would it have been known to the floral world for years 
after, had not his gardener given a sprig in a bouquet to 
his sweetheart, which she planted; and from that same 
sprig she propagated many, and sold them at a high price. 
To this circumstance we are indebted for this gem, and no 
thanks to the sordid inclination of a despot. 

Although this plant is found to be hardy in Europe, it 
requires protection in this country, and is consequently 
treated as a pot plant. There is no doubt that this shrub, 
when well established in the open ground, if laid down in 
November, and covered with mats until April, and then 



168 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

raised and fastened to the trellis, would make one of the 
best arbor vines extant ; the vine is thrifty in growth ; and 
the flowers emit unrivalled fragrance for a great distance. 
The innocent appearance of the clusters of delicate white 
flowers, which appear in such profusion, contrasted with 
the deep green foliage, throws quite an enchanting appear- 
ance on the surrounding scene 

" The Jasmine, with which the queen of flowers, 
To charm her god, adorns his favorite bowers ; 
Which brides, by hand of neatness drest, 
Unenvied rival ! wear," 

Then, again, we have two of more recent introduction, 
bearing yellow flowers, of more robust habit, not so much 
inclined to run, and nearly as fragrant. These are more 
tender than J. officinale, and well adapted to parlor culture. 
They should be pruned ever spring, to make them flower 
more abundantly: All these varieties thrive in a rich sandy 
loam, and are easily propagated by cuttings in the spring, 
managed in the usual way of propagating by cuttings. I 
have never discovered that these exotics form seeds, and 
therefore presume they will not in this country. 

There is another beautiful and desirable variety, common- 
ly called the Cape Jasmine, Gardenia Jlorida^ a native of 
China, which succeeds well in the Eastern and Southern 
Slates, but not in the West, though this may arise from 
mismanagement. I have always found it to do well, b^ 
potting every spring, with the following composition: — 
Leaf mould, cow manure four years old, and loam, equal 
parts ; then add one tenth of the above of sand well incor' 
porated ; and if left out of doors all the winter, and turned 



JASMINE. 169 

over occasionally, the better. The flower of this variety- 
is as large as a rose, but not quite so double ; it is delight- 
fully fragrant. Its appearance is more like the Orange 
Tree than the common Jasmine, the leaves being heavier 
ribbed. It will grow to a great height in a favorable situ- 
ation and soil, and is easily propagated by cuttings. The 
other varieties are not so well known. The above are 
the best, easiest managed, and kept through the winter, 
and of course most desirable. 



lAYENDER 

(lavendula spica.) 



The common Lavender of the garden is a valuable 
shrub, a native of the South of Europe, and grows from 
three to five feet high. The stem is brown and woody, 
and is divided into slender, straight, herbaceous, pubescent 
branches, with opposite sessile, linear, and glaucous leaves. 
The flowers are small and disposed in whorls around the 
sprouts, forming cylindrical spikes. The corolla is tubular 
and labiate, the lower lip divided into segments, the up- 
per the largest ; with the filaments within the tube. The 
flowers possess a strong aromatic odor, and contain a vola- 
tile oil which can be procured by distillation, and is much 
used by perfumers. The stem and flowers are generally 
placed in drawers to impart a fragrance to clothes, and it is 
said that the moth will not go where it is kept. The flow- 

15 



170 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

ers should be cut for that purpose while the blossom is 
expanded, in dry weather ; they will retain their fragrance 
for months after being dry. It is raised readily by seed 
and cuttings, and will grow in any garden soil. 



LEMON TREE. 

(citrus medic a.) 

This ornamental exotic was first introduced into Europe 
about the same time as the Orange Tree, and is a native of 
Persia, but is now almost identified as indigerrous to the 
tropical climate, where it grows to great perfection. This 
tree was much cultivated in Greece, in the second century ; 
therefore is one of the oldest plants in cultivation, and re- 
sembles the Orange much. The leaves are larger and 
possess a degree of fragrance, and are slightly indented ; 
the foot stalks are destitute of winged parts which belong 
to the other species. The blossoms are a little purple on 
the outer surface, and the fruit differs, having a nipple at 
the end ; the color is rather darker. 

There are several distinct varieties of the Lemon, which 
are very perceptible on examination. It is easily raised 
from seed sown in the spring (those obtained from over 
ripe fruit of the fruiterers are the best for that purpose). 
The seed should be dried before sown, and will germinate 
freely. In the third year the plants should be budded in 
July ; the soil a rich loam, and the plants shifted when the 



t LEMON TREE. 171 

pols are filled with roots, into one a size larger. The best 
time to shift them is the fall ; for if allowed to stand in 
that condition through the winter, the roots are apt to mil- 
dew. When the plants are shifted is the proper time to 
trim and make them as compact as possible. 

The fruit of the Lemon affords an essential oil by dis- 
tillation, the juice is of essential service, possessing a pecu- 
liar, pleasant acid, and grateful to the palate, and when 
mixed with water and sweetened, as a summer beverage, 
denominated "lemonade," it cannot be surpassed either 
for the sick or healthy person. The juice is also useful for 
its medical properties, being a specific for the scurvy, for 
travellers going on long sea voyages. The rind of the 
fruit is often candied, and used in pastry, such as cakes 
and puddings. It is the principal ingredient in the cele- 
brated "Stoughton's Bitters." 



LUPIN 

(lupinus.) 



There are several varieties of this hardy annual in cul- 
tivation, which afford a pleasing prospect in the flower 
garden. They are known to many as the " Sun Dial." 
The Lupins are natives of different parts of Europe, flow- 
ering from July to September, in any garden soil. The 
flowers are formed in spikes in the shape of the pea- 
blossom, colors various. The perennial varieties of the 



172 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Lupin are beautiful, and are propagated by seed or divi- 
sion of the roots, the same as other perennials. They re- 
quire a rich sandy loam to grow them to advantage. 



LILY OP THE VALLEY, 

(CONVALLARIA MAJALIS.) 

»* Seek the banks, where flowering elders crowd ; 
Where scattered wide, the Lily of the vale, 
Its balmy essence breathes; where cowslips hang 
The dewy head ; where purple violets lurk. 
With all the lovely children of the shade." 

This Lily is, generally speaking, a great favorite. It is 
a native of Europe, and perennial in duration. The flow- 
ers are small, sweet scented, and found growing in the 
copses in England, bearing their beautiful globe shape, 
companulate, white, drooping flowers in May. The scape 
is half cylindrical ; the leaves two, ovate, lanceolate, radi- 
cal, something resembling the Tulip, except being slightly 
striped. The modest appearance of this flower is certainly 
a great recommendation, independent of its fragrance. It 
is said that its perfume has attraction, and draws the night- 
ingale. This, I presume, is a mistaken notion ; for there 
are other flowers in England whose fragrance is by far 
superior to the Lily of the Valley. It should be borne in 
mind, that the nightingale delights in retired situations, 
aAvay from the bustle and noise of the farm house, like the 



LILY OF THE VALLEY. 173 

thrush. These birds can be heard of a moonlight night, 
singing in concert with each other, creating very pleasing 
sensations to the listener, though there is something 
melancholy in their " still, sweet voice," that never fails to 
charm. 

This plant is not so much cultivated in this country as 
formerly, although easily managed. The situation should 
be shaded from the mid-day sun, and airy at the same 
time ; the soil rich and rather moist. It is increased by 
division of the roots, which are numerous, and is easily ac- 
complished in the fail. It does very well when treated as 
a pot plant. ^ 



LILY. 

(lilium.) 

" The Lily's height bespeaks command, 
A fair imperial flower, 
She seemed designed for Flora's hand, 
The sceptre of her power." 

Of this tribe of beautiful plants, there appears to be six- 
teen species, all considered choice flowers. The bulbs are 
scaly, with leaf stems growing from three to five feet high, 
of various colors and shapes. The Martagon or Turk's 
Cap is a splendid variety, but is not calculated for this 
climate ; the severity of the winter kills them if exposed. 
It is occasionally cultivated in the green-house where it 



174 A GriDE TO FLOmCtJLTUIlE. 

succeeds very well. The Tiger and Orange variety are 
quite common in our gardens, and withstand our winters. 
The former is frequently found in the meadows in the 
West. The Orange is known by its orange scarlet flow- 
ers ; when the sun shines on them they appear like fire, 
and are commonly called the Fire Lily from this circum- 
stance. Both are splendid flowers. There are many 
more, but not well adapted for this clime, unless con- 
fined to the green-house. The whole tribe is increased 
by offsets, which are thrown off every season, more or 
less. These bulbs delight in a rich loam. 



LEMON SCENTED VERBENA. 

(aloysa citriodoha.) 



" Like the fragrant mint, 

Hid in the umbrage of some lowly glen, 
Thy virtues lie concealed ; and only love, 
In its deep research, can unlock the wealth 
Of thy benignant soul, and bring to light 
Its hidden jewels." 

This delightful, fragrant perennial is a native of Chili, 
and is one of the most agreeable plants in cultivation. 
The leaves are ribbed, lanceolate, and terminate. The 
flowers are small, of a pale purple or lilac color, formed 
in spikes, easily managed. To propagate it, June is the 
best time. Take cuttings from two to three inches in 



LEMON SCENTED VERBENA. 175 

length, and place them in a box, or pan, with a light 
sandy soil, and cover them with a bell glass, as recom- 
mended for soft wooded plants. In five weeks they will 
be ready for potting off Sometimes the weather will re- 
tard their growth ; this will be observable, for unless you 
perceive them growing, do not disturb them. 

When you transplant, take as much soil as will adhere to 
the roots, place them in three inch pots, and pinch off the 
tops. This will give them more strength by forming 
more roots; then place them in the shade; in the fall, 
remove them into the house, before the frost sets in. If 
you desire large plants, in the last of May place them 
in the open ground, where they must remain until Sep- 
tember, when it will be necessary to po.t them off, and 
trim them tolerable close. This will be found necessary 
to make thrifty plants, as the Aloysa, will in one sea- 
son put out shoots five feet long. This plant, from its 
agreeable fragrance, and easy management, has been a 
favorite plant in the green-house and parlor. The soil 
best suited is a sandy loam, and it requires but little 
water through the winter months-. 



176 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

LONDON PRIDE. 

(saxifrage umbrosa.) 

The London Pride, or None so Pretty^ is an evergreen, 
ornamental in appearance, perennial in duration, and bears 
small whitish flowers with small spots, from April to June. 
The leaves are obovate, retuse, with cartilaginous crenate, 
stem naked and pannicled. It makes a fine border for a 
bed in the flower garden. In such estimation is it held, 
that it may be seen in almost every cottager's garden in 
England, creating a Ih^ely appearance in the depth of 
winter, thriving in any situation, and is not aflected by 
smoke. It is propagated by division of the root in Sep- 
tember^ forming the borders, and needs no more atten- 
tion. It seeds freely, and can be increased that way, but 
is seldom necessary, as it increases fast by the roots and 
will grow in any garden soil. 



lAURESTINTJS 

(viburnum tinus.) 



This is an evergreen ornamental shrub, a native of 
Spain, and is quite hardy in Europe, imparting life and 
beauty to the landscape all the winter. The leaves are 



LAURESTINUS. 177 

ovate, oblongf, entire, of a dark green, bearing a corymb of 
white flowers early in the spring, before other shrubs begin 
to show theirs. It is well adapted for parlor culture, being 
nearly hardy, and of easy culture. It is propagated by 
layering, and will grow from cuttings taken off early in 
the spring. The soil should be a rich loam, and potted in 
the fall when other plants are. 



MOCCASIN PLANT. ' 

(CYPRIPEDIUM.) 

** Go! cull the golden fruits of truth; 
Go ! gather fancy's brilliant flowers." 

This is a beautiful orchideous plant, a native of this 
country, and found growing in swamps, near woods. The 
flower bears some affinity to a slipper, and is frequently 
called the Lady's Slipper, It also resembles some varieties 
of the Calceolaria, hanging pendulent, and is unique in 
appearance, quite fascinating to the eye. It appears to be 
difficult to manage in this country, although a native ; this 
arises probably from not studying the nature and habit of 
the plant, a great fault with cultivators ; for without this 
desideratum, no plant can succeed well. In Europe the 
florists have a house devoted to the orchidacese order of 
plants, which enables them to succeed better in their man- 
agement. The soil should be taken from marshy places. 
The plants plentifully supplied with water when in a grow 



178 A GUIDE TO FLOPcICULTUilE. 

ing state, and kept in the shade. When the leaves begin 
to turn color, water should be gradually withheld. They 
must be kept in a state of rest the residue of the season, 
and in the spring should be re-potted and encouraged in 
growth. , It is perennial, and may be divided at the root, 
or raised by seed sown as soon as ripe. The orchideous 
plants, generally, are very beautiful, even beyond descrip- 
tion ; but are little cultivated in this country. This is 
probably owing to the florists not being compensated for 
their trouble, as but few persons are willing to give what 
may be deemed a fair price for them, when flowering plants 
of a lower price can be purchased to fill a vacuum these 
charminof flowers ought to fill. 



MYRTLE 

(myrtus.) 



" Earnest, I beg — add not with toilsome pain, — 
One far-sought blossom to the Myrtle plain, 
For sure, the fragrant Myrtle bough 

Looks seemliest on thy brow." 

This is certainly a fine ornamental evergreen shrub. 
There appears to be a large family of them, natives of 
Europe, New Holland, and different parts of the globe, 
flowering from June to August. The flowers generally 
are solitary, white, and sweet scented, the involucre two 
leaved. The foliage differs in size, as the different varieties 



MYRTLE. 179 

will exemplify ; all were held in great estimation by the 
ancients, and were dedicated to Venus, the goddess of 
Love. It was much used by the Romans, in the decora^ 
tions of their triumphant marches, when celebrating some 
conquest, and in decorating their heads with wreaths or 
crowns. The plant is tender, and requires protection 
through the winter. It is easily managed as a parlor 
plant, and will grow readily by cuttings at almost any time 
of the year, but the spring is best for that purpose. The 
leaves are sweet scented, the perfume being contained in 
small cells, which are perceptible when looked at with a 
microscope. There is a double variety (M. communis mul- 
tiplex) a very handsome shrub, of a neat appearance and 
a great bloomer. There is also one a native of China 
(iff. tomentosa)^ of erect habit, and of a noble, command- 
ing appearance. The flowers are the largest of the whole 
species, changing to a purplish white, after being fully 
expanded. 

One of this tribe bears the allspice of commerce, but it 
requires the hot-house, and is therefore not of much ac- 
count to the amateur. I have seen the common Myrtle 
(M. communis) in England fifteen feet high, standing in 
front of a house having a southern aspect, which had 
grown there for many years without protection ; when in 
flower, it was beautiful, and an object of public admiration ; 
a goldfinch used to build her nest in it every season, which 
associated the most pleasing feelings. I have heard, with 
regret, that the house has been razed to the ground, and 
the shrub destroyed. It must be evident, that this shrub 
is held with reverence, as we often see wreaths and gar- 
lands of the artificial substituted for the genuine at balls 



ISO A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUE.E. 

and parties, where it appears more neat and .chaste than the 
Jasmine. The broad leaf Roman Myrtle is more desirable 
than the narrow, and flowers more freely. 

This plant should be watered occasionally over the 
foliage, to preserve freshness and its incomparable beauty ; 
when found to grow straggling it should be cut down 
within six or eight inches of the pot, when it will form a 
fine, bushy head, in one season. The soil- should be a rich 
loam, and the plant re-potted every year or two. 

L. pinciana. — This is another delightful fragrant flower- 
ing shrub, perennial in duration, of late introduction from 
Napul. It was raised from seed by Wm. Pence, of Exeter, 
England, a very successful nurseryman (the same person 
that raised Fuchsia exoniensis^ the handsomest flower of that 
numerous tribe of plants). It is more hardy than is generally 
supposed by the English florists. The branches are numer- 
ous and opposite ; leaves ovate, large, and entire ; flowers 
spreading in cymes at the ends of small leafy branches^ 
out-spreading and nearly uniting, which form a compound 
cyme or immense truss, nearly a foot over, giving the plant 
a very imposing appearance. The color of the flowers is 
a creamy white, slightly tinged with blush. 

This plant was named by Sir Wm. Hooker, and in its 
general character is very similar to L. grotissina, but 
more robust in habit, and in all probability not so tender. 
This shrub is increased by seeds and cuttings in a rich 
loamy soil. Its fragrance and easy culture will make it a 
general favorite in the green-house or parlor. 



MARTYNIA FRAORANS. 181 



MARTYNIA PRAGRANS. 

This delightful, fragrant annual is a native of Mexico. 
The seed of the original plant was sent from Real del 
Monte, in 1840, to England, where it is considered the best 
annual of kte introduction. The flowers are on spikes 
arising from the point of the stem of the plant ; from the 
base of the first spike laterals proceed, and thus, in succes- 
sion, the plant flowers the whole summer, affording a beau- 
tiful contrast with the Balsam ; these plants should be 
sown together, growing about the same height, with cir- 
cumference in proportion. The whole plant is hairy, more 
or less ; the flowers a fine, rich, crimson purple, and their 
fragrance delightful. It is well calculated for parlor cul- 
ture, as well as the open ground, growing two feet high. 
It will thrive best if the seeds are sown in the fall, potted, 
and kept in the parlor through the winter; but will require 
shifting often as the roots fill the pot. 

It was named after the late John Martyn, the author of 
several botanical works. There are several other varieties 
of the Martynias, all beautiful plants, but M. fragrans is 
considered the best and most valuable acquisition to the 
flower garden. The soil should be rich, and their general 
culture the same as the Balsam. Therefore, to ensure good 
strong plants, if the seed be not sown in the fall, it should 
be in February, in a hot bed, and planted out when all dan- 
ger of frost is over. 



182 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

MIGNIONETTE. 

(reseda odorata.) 

" No gorgeous flowers the meek Reseda grace, 
Yet seek with eager trunk yon busy race, 
Her simple cup, nor heed the dazzling gem 
That beams in Fritillaria's diadem." 

This sweet and generous scented annual was imported 
into Europe one hundred years ago from Africa. The 
leaves are entire, three-lobed ; the involucre shorter than 
the flowerets, growing from twelve to eighteen inches. 
The flowerets are dingy white, of a delightful fragrance, 
particularly grateful in a room. 

This favorite is known to the Dutch florists as the Eg3^p- 
tian Bastard Rocket ; with us and the French, as Mig- 
nionette. Morning and evening the fragrance of this plant 
is more sensible than at other times. This desirable per- 
fection, in so humble a plant in appearance, has made it a 
favorite ; three plants are suflicient to fill a room with 
fragrance,' and make it agreeable to the sense of smelling ; 
it is thus in every way desirable as a parlor plant. Being 
of easy culture, it can be brought to flower at any season 
in the year. 

The soil should not be rich, as it will destroy in some 
measure the sweet eflects of its odoriferous perfection ; 
therefore, a sandy loam is the best. It will be necessary 
to sow seed the last of July, or beginning of August, to 
have it flowering from November to February. The seeds 



MIGNIONETTE. 183 

should be sown in September, in the open ground ; pot the 
plants off in four inch pots, gently water them, and screen 
them for several c'ays ; then sink the pots in the open 
ground, guarding the plants against heavy rains. About 
the first of November, remove them into the house to deco- 
rate the window for the coming winter, where they wdll 
flower from December to February. Water the plants 
when necessary, which wdll depend on the beat of the 
room. If you sow the seed in pots the last of September, 
you will have flowering plants from March to May, afford- 
ing some of the sweetest scented flowers half of the year, 
in the house, and amusement and pleasure at a season -when 
many plants are out of flower. 

It is said there is a variety of the Mignionette, called the 
Tree, of a shrubby nature, which is increased by cuttings 
as well as by seed. There appears to me a doubt on the 
subject, for the Mignionette we cultivate as an annual, by 
trimming and training, will attain a great height, and if 
allowed to spread after, will in some measure appear 
shrubby, and live a long time. From this circumstance, 
I suspect, has arisen the idea of the Tree variety. If there 
be another, it must be scarce, and has not found its way 
into general cultivation. 



184 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 

Of these splendid succulent plants, there is a numerous 
family, natives of the Cape of Good Hope, most of which 
are green-house plants, flowering from June to September. 
This tribe is easily propagated by cuttings, taken off in 
the spring or fall, and watered sparingly at first. They 
are well calculated for rock work, and do well in the open 
ground, planted in a bed in May, about eighteen inches 
apart. The dwarf kinds should be placed nearest the 
path ; they require less water than those of a more 
vigorous growth, which should be in the middle. To 
make them flower well, the sun should be allowed its full 
influence, or the flowers will not expand to perfection. 
They will require to be watered every day ; and your 
trouble v/ill be well paid with a splendid display of showy 
flowers. In October the plants should be taken up and 
potted. Give them good drainage and water sparingly 
through the winter. It will be found that plants three 
years old will flower best, and they are best suited for the 
open ground. The soil should be a rich loam, with one 
eighth of sharp sand. Some of the Mesembryanthemums 
will live out all the winter in the Southern states, if pro- 
tected from the rain. 



MAEVEl OP PERU, on FOUR o'cLOCK. 185 



MARVEL OF PERU, OR FOUR O'CLOCK. 

(mIPvABILIS jalapa.) 

*• Wake, then, from thy sunset bower. 
Spread thy leaves, my pretty flower ! 
Spread thy leaves, unclose thine eyes, 
For the silver moon doth rise. 
And the golden stars are coming." 

This is quite a common perennial, and of considerable 
beauty, but is generally treated as an annual. It is indi- 
genous to the West Indies, and is known better as the 
" Four o'clock." There are several varieties, all bearing 
handsome iiowers. It is fusiform rooted (that is, tuberous), 
flowering from June until the frost destroys it. The flow- 
ers are in clusters, stalked, and the leaves smooth, forming 
a well shaped bush, about three feet high. The flowers 
seldom expand before four in the afternoon, hence its name 
Four o'clock. The expanded flowers make a very bril- 
liant and beautiful appearance in the cool of the evening. 
It will grow in any soil, is easily cultivated, and will 
flower the first season from seed. This is the reason why it 
is treated as an annual. Like the Dahlia, when it is cut down 
by the frost, the root should be taken up and preserved ; 
and in the spring sprouted with the Dahlia. It will grow 
readily from cuttings, and will produce much better flowers 
than when produced by seedlings of one year's standing. 



\6 



186 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

MONKEY FLOWER. 

(mimulus.) 

This interesting variety of flowers is principally from 
Chili and California. It is an annual of easy culture, 
stem smooth, leaves denticulate, slightly hairy, with smooth 
ribs ; calyx smooth ; teeth equal, sharp pointed, turning 
backwards ; corolla twice the length of the calyx ; stamens 
shorter than the corolla ; peduncles twice as long as the 
calyx. The beauty of this flower has induced the florist 
to exert his skill in hybridizing it with decided success. 
The one called 31. Smithiij is one of the finest in cultiva- 
tion, being a cross with M. revularis and M. variegatus. 
Mr. Smith, of Islington, has met with much success with 
this tribe of plants. The one named after him is distinctly 
marked with spots on the petals, and laced round the ex- 
tremity ; the lower lip of the flower has three dark marks, 
and the yellow is of a deep and rich color. Besides these 
perfections, the variety is an extremely abundant bloomer, 
which still adds to its worth. 

' The seed should be sown in the fall, in pots, and pre- 
served through the winter, when it will flower early in the 
spring. The soil must be a rich loam. It will do well 
in open ground, but shows to better advantage in a pot, as 
a parlor plant, or in the green house. It is also increased 
by dividing the roots, or by cuttings taken off in the spring 
and summer. 



MASIQOLD. 187 

MARIGOLD. 

(calendula.) 

" The Marigold, that goes to bed with the sun, 
And with him rises weeping." 

This is a numerous family of long established plants, 
which has been in cultivation ever since 1683. It is of 
easy culture, by sowing the seeds in April; when the 
plants are large enough, transplant them to where they 
are intended to flower. Persons wishing to cultivate them 
to perfection, should be particular and save the largest 
flowers for seed, and destroy all those that are not wholly 
double, or your variety will soon degenerate to the single 
kinds, which are not worth cultivating. Generally speak- 
ing, they will accommodate themselves to any soil, and 
where grown will scatter their own seed, and come up in 
the spring. Such gratuitous plants should never be 
saved, as no dependence can be placed on them as double 
flowers ; therefore be more careful of the choice seeds, if 
you desire good flowers. Linn seas has remarked that the 
Marigold opens regularly at nine in the morning, and 
closes at three, and generally turns with the sun, like the 
Helianthus. 

I will name a few of the varieties cultivated at present, 
though some are old plants, but not common. C. grami- 
nifolia, the grass leaved Marigold, is a perennial, and is 
increased by division of the roots. Between the leaves rise 
naked peduncles, nine inches long, bearing one flower at 



188 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

the top, of the size of the common Marigold, with a pur- 
ple bottom ; the rays are purple without, but white within. 
These flowers only expand when the sun shines ; they 
close in the evening, and remain closed in cloudy weather. 
They appear from April to May, when they are in the 
greatest perfection. They will flower again in the fall ; 
from this, one would suppose that warm weather was ob- 
noxious to the flowers, were it not from the circumstance of 
their opening only when the sun shone on them. This 
variety was introduced from the Cape in 1698. 

C. viscosa is another plant from the Cape of Good Hope, 
with a shrubby stem, and upright ; the bark is of a grayish 
color ; the branches are herbaceous ; the leaves covered 
with a shiny substance ; leaves alternate, sessile, and 
decumbent along the branches ; flowers large and red, ap- 
pearing in April and May. This green-house plant was 
introduced in 1790. 

C. chrysanthemum is the Cape Marigold, an herbaceous 
plant, covered with a harsh pubescence ; blooms freely 
most of the summer, and is ornamental ; flowers yellow. 

C. tragus is another variety, about three feet high, with 
a weak stem, which requires support while in flower. 
It is yellow within and purple without, and fragrant, 
which is not the case with all this family of plants. It 
will grow readily from cuttings. 

C. arvensisj the field Marigold, is a native of Germany, 
and nearly allied to the garden variety. It has been cul- 
tivated ever since 1683. 

C. officinalis is the common Marigold. The most 
essential difference between this variety and the field 
Marigold consists in the stems being loftier, with paler 



MARIGOLD. 189 

foliage, and the middle of the leaves are more blunt, the 
upper ones more lanceolate. It is a native of France, and 
has been in cultivation ever since 1597 ; the flowers are 
orange color, which continue most part of the summer, 
giving splendor to the flower garden. It was formerly- 
held in repute for its medicinal qualities, but the march of 
improvement and knowledge has sent these reputed quali- 
ties to the shades of oblivion. The country people of 
England still use the flowers in their broth or soup. Set- 
ting aside the coloring matter, I am doubtful if there be 
any particular attributes in its use. 

Of the Golden Marigold there are seven varieties, all 
considered showy flowers for annuals. 

C. pluvialis is the small Cape Marigold, which is an 
annual, much cultivated ; leaves deeply indented on the 
edge, of a pale green ; stem declining, six inches long, 
leafy within two inches of the top ; stem leaves narrower 
and more indented than those near the root ; the stem 
grows slender as it nears the top, with the flowers at the 
extremity like the common Marigold ; they open when the 
sun shines, and shut in the evening. When the flower 
decays, and during the time the seed is ripening, they hang 
down ; when fully ripe, they grow erect again, when the 
cultivator is admonished of the time to gather the seed. 
This variety is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and 
was first cultivated in Europe in 1726. No particular care 
is required in the culture of the annual variety, other than 
already named. Those of the green-house require no 
more than guarding them against frost, and their flowers 
are easily brought to perfection. 



190 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE, 

MONK'S HOOD. 

(aconitum.) 

Of this tribe of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, 
there appear to be innumerable varieties. This arises 
from the easy access of the bees in accumulating honey, 
and carrying the pollen from flower to flower, thus cross- 
ing the plants without further trouble. The following are 
the varieties most generally cultivated. The reader may 
judge of the merits of the different plants. 

A. napellus is the Purple Monk's Hood. The leaves 
are divided down the petiole, with linear, acute lobes; 
ovaries three, smooth. This species is named from the 
form of the root, which resembles a turnip, and is a strong, 
active poison; flowers violet purple, alternately on the 
spikes ; stem erect,, covered with leaves, and about eighteen 
inches high. The ancients considered it a deadly poison ; 
and it is frequently the case that persons in smelling the 
flower, such is the nature of its deleterious odor, will 
swoon and have their sight affected for several days. It 
was the custom in former times to give criminals one 
drachm of the root, which was sufficient to destroy the 
vital spark of life, so powerful is the effect on the human 
system. Many instances could be recorded, where persons 
have lost their lives by partaking of the foliage, by mis- 
take, with vegetables. The following experiment, which 
I hope will not be considered irrelevant, was made by a 
Mr. Brodie : — "An ounce of the juice of the leaves waj 



MONK'S HOOD. 191 

injected into the rectum of a cat. Three minutes after- 
wards, he voided what appeared to be nearly the whole of 
the injection. He then stood some minutes perfectly mo- 
tionless, with his legs drawn together ; at the end of nine 
minutes from the time of the injection he retched and 
vomited ; then attempted to walk, but faltered and fell at 
every step, as if from giddiness. At the end of thirteen 
minutes, he lay on his side insensible and motionless, ex- 
cept some slight convulsive motions of the limbs ; the 
respiration now became slow and labored, and at forty-seven 
minutes from the time of the injection he was apparently 
dead ; but the heart was found regularly contracting one 
minute and a half afterwards, at the rate of one hundred 
times in the minute, from which it would seem that the 
brain is not directly necessary to the action of the heart, 
and when that action ceases, it is rather in consequence of 
the cessation of respiration, which is evident under the in- 
fluence of the brain." 

A. versicolor is another variety much cultivated; flowers 
smooth, variegated ; helmet low ; subcorneal, and growing 
about two feet high, very firm in appearance, branching 
and forming a fine pyramid. It is a native of Switzerland. 
It is increased by tubers at the root, which it produces 
freely. 

A. pyramidale^ — flowers blue ; the spur capitate; helmet 
closed. It bears a spike of flowers two feet high, and is 
the most common. It flowers in May, and makes a pretty 
appearance at that season. This species is also a deadly 
poison, and therefore ought not to be cultivated unless great 
caution is used. It is increased by dividing the roots. 

A. venustiim is a distinct variety from all others. The 



192 A GXJIDE TO FLOKICULTURE. 

flowers are sulphur yellow, pubescent outside. This plant 
grows two feet high; spur straight, obtuse; helmed conical 
at the base. This fine variety was introduced into Europe 
in 1807, and is a native of Siberia. There are many more 
of late introduction, in addition to a numerous train of 
hybrids, bearing beautiful flowers, but not yet common. 

The Monk's Hood is cultivated in this country in the 
green-house, not so much from the tender nature of the 
plant, as for the richness of its colors, which are in per- 
fection from May to July. It is well calculated for the 
flower garden, and is propagated by seeds and division of 
the roots. 

As a narcotic, the whole tribe is dangerous, notwith- 
standing the beauty and variety of the flowers. To those 
who have children, I would say, it is better to cast it 
from the garden, for one unfortunate death would cause 
more aflliction to the mind of a parent than all the culture 
of flowers could alleviate with their gaudy and deceptive 
fascinations. 



NARCISSUS. 

" Narcissus fair 
As o'er the fabled fountain hanging still." 

There appears to be a large family of these bulbous 
rooted perennials, which are readily increased by offsets at 
the root All appear to thrive well in a rich, sandy loam,, 



NARCISSUS. 193 

and have been cultivated from time immemorial. Nar- 
cissus Tazetta, Polyanthus narcissus, is a native of Spain, 
and is also found on the coast of Barbary. It is one of the 
oldest varieties in our flower garden; quite ornamental; 
and is imported into this country from Holland, where it 
is cultivated to some extent. The word Tazetta is the 
nara-e for a small cup which it forms in the centre of the 
flower on a scape of about ten inches high, Vv-ith a deiig'it- 
ful fragrance ; it generally blooms in May in the open 
ground, but can be brought to flower in a pot, and be kept 
in the parlor or green-house in March. The flowers are 
yellow with an orange color cup ; the bulb a little tender, 
and, when planted in the open ground, should be protected 
from the S'e verity of the winter months. 

Narcissus orientalis, "Narcissus of the Levant," is 
another fine variety, and differs from the former in some 
respects ; still there is a great similitude in the two ; the 
crown being more triovate and crenate, and equally as 
prolific in flowers. Although the flo-w-ers are white, the 
cups are of a citron yellow ; it is ornamental, and one of 
the best varieties. It is imported from. Holland annually, 
but is a native of the Levant, and is called by the Dutch 
" Grand Prime Citron ienne." 

Narcissus papyraceus. — The " Italian or Paper White 
Narcissus" appears to be quite distinct from the above, 
having a more shallow crown and a more closely crenulate 
margin, and a flatter ancipital scape. The bulbs are small 
and the corollas white or cream colored. This bulb is 
imported from Italy, and is generally called the " Roman 
Narcissus," and is also one of the most ornamental in the 

17 



194 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUE.E. 

whole class, and very fragrant. This, as well as the 
others, is rather tender, requiring the same treatment. 

Narcissus Jonquil — 

*' Nor gradual bloom is wanting, 
Nor hyacinth of purest virgin white, 
Low bent and blushing inward, nor Jonquils 
Of potent fragrance." 

The Jonquil is a very attractive species of Narcissus, 
quite hardy, possessing a delightful fragrance, flowering 
in April and May. It is often flowered in pots, and kept 
in stands with or near the Auricula ; this, no douht, is be- 
cause it flowers at the same time, and the sweetness of 
its perfume, mixing with that of the Auricula, diffuses a 
most pleasing and delightful treat in the cool af the even- 
ing. The Jonquil, when planted in the open ground, 
should not be removed for several years, for it does not 
flower so well if removed every season. The spathe is 
three flowered ; segments reflexed, spatulate ; cup in the 
centre much shorter than the segment, spreading crenate, 
much like the Tazetta, not forming so many flowers, but 
may be considered a good parlor plant. 

The double variety is suitable to stand in a glass with 
water, the same as the Hyacinth. 

Pseudo Narcissus- — 

" When early primroses appear, 

And vales are decked with Daffodils, 
I hail the new reviving year. 
And soothing hope my bosom fills.'" 

The Daffodil is the most common kind in cultivation, 
perfectly hardy, and a native of England, where it is found 



NARCISSUS. 195 

in the woods in great profusion. The bul"bs are perennial, 
flowering in April and May, throwing up a scape fwo 
edged, with a single yellow flower at the extreme ; segment 
of a sulphur yellow, with a serrate, crenate orifice; it is 
often planted in bunches in the borders along lawns, 
or round the edge of beds, where it increases very fast. 
From England this bulb found its way into Holland, 
whence it is imported into this country under the specious 
name of '• Soleil d'Or," thus disappointing those who pur- 
chase them under that name. 
Narcissus Poeticus — 

" Narcissus on the grassy verdure lies ; 
But whilst within the crystal fount he tries 
To quench his heat, he feels new heats arise*, 
For, as his own bright image he surveyed, 
He fell in love with th' fantastic shade ; 
And o'er the fair resemblance hung unmoved, 
Nor knew, fond youth ! it was himself he loved." 

This is the " Poet's Narcissus," and an old favorite, 
which has been the subject of many poems by writers of 
old. This highly scented bulbous rooted plant bears a 
white flower in May. The segments are reflexed, imbre- 
cate at the base, cup expanded, flat ; the anthers shorter than 
the tube ; leaves erect and narrow. It often disappoints 
expectation, for if the flower bud, before expanding, is 
pressed with the finger and thumb, it blasts the flower and 
prevents its expansion. Indeed it may be considered very 
uncertain, at the best ; for sometimes it will not flower for 
several years. 

Although this flower has attracted so much attention in 



196 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

olden time, at this day it is hardly worth cultivation. The 
classic associations connected with it endeared it to many, 
but at the present day it hardly commands a corner in the 
flower garden. Such is the result of changes in the pub- 
lic mind. There are many of this species of bulbs at 
the present day enumerated in the Dutch catalogues, but 
whether they are really individual varieties, is a matter of 
doubt ; cultivation alone will alter their appearance, par- 
ticularly if not attended to with judgment. It requires 
the scrutinizing eye of the botanist to detect its real char- 
acter. Care and attention would restore many to their 
high cultivated state, while others would retain their prim- 
itive standing as degenerated flowers. Then, again, those 
in a high state of culture may be crossed, such as Tazetta 
orientalis, the Roman Narcissus and Narcissus tazetta, 
w^hich no doubt would produce some fine hybrids. When 
the Dutch bring forward their numerous lists, we should 
look on it with a suspicious eye, for we cannot depend 
on their statements with much assurance. We may 
meet with great disappointment, as in their Soleil d'Or. 



OLEANDER, OR EOSE BAY. 197 

OLEANDER, OR ROSE BAY. 

(nerium oleander.) 

*' There, on the banks of that bright river born, 
The flowers that hang above its wave at morn, 
Bless not the waters, as they murmur by, 
With hoher scent and lustre ." 

This is a splendid variety of evergreen shrubs, and quite 
a favorite. It was imported into Europe as far back as 
1597, and is a native of Asia Minor, where it is found 
growing luxuriantly along the banks of rivers and swampy 
places. The original color of the flowers is a pink. There 
is a white variety in cultivation possessing no merit for 
beauty, and for that reason is not much thought of There 
is another with a striped leaf, and one a dwarf, both bearing 
pink flowers, and desirable as parlor plants. The large 
and common variety will grow from twenty to thirty feet 
high, but is getting into disrepute, for when so large it is 
difficult to manage. In the Southern States it will do well 
in the open ground. 

All of the Oleander family are easily cultivated in a rich 
loam, and will grow from seeds, cuttings, or layers. To 
increase from seed, they should be sown in the spring, and 
will soon come up and flower the second season. It is 
seldom we find a florist cultivate the single variety, unless 
for the sake of experiment, it being the only kind that will 
seed. June is the best time to propagate from cuttings, 
when they Avill strike root freely, if the soil be kept damp ; 
for that reason a pot is the best to strike them in, and the3r 



198 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

must be kept in the shade. When rooted, pot them off and 
treat them the same as old plants. 

When plants become large, the best plan is to put them 
in the ground sideways, so that the top can be bent down 
with greater facility, and layer them the same as you 
would the Carnation ; in six weeks, if well attended, they 
will be ready to pot off Many people will plant them m 
the open ground in the summer to save trouble, a plan that 
ought to be deprecated, as the plant becomes too large to 
manage, and causing much more trouble. The best plan 
is to keep them in as small pots as possible ; this will make 
them flower more freely ; repot them every fall or spring. 
As the plants progress in size, they should be shifted into 
one a little larger. This plant should not be placed out of 
doors too early in the spring, as one night's frost would do 
incalculable injury. It will stand the frost better in the 
fall than spring. 

When the Oleander is planted in the open ground, and 
lifted in the fall, great care is necessary not to injure the 
root fibres, or you -vVill make the top of the plant flag, and 
in all probability it will never rise again. The only reme- 
dy then is to cut off the tops, but you thus disfigure the 
plant. In the winter, this plant must be kept in the house, 
out of reach of frost; it will require little or no w^ater 
when in a state of rest, which will be from the middle of 
November to the latter part of February. If well man- 
aged, it will flower from June until late in the fall. 



ORANGE TREE. 199 

ORANGE TREE. 

(citrus.) 

** Here Orange trees, with flowers and pendants shine^ 
And vernal honors to their autumn join; 
Exceed their promise in the ripened store, 
Yet in the rising blossom promise more." 

This exotic is an old and much esteemed favorite orna- 
mental tree. It is cultivated in the green-house and parlor, 
and will bear considerable frost, but is best if protected. 

This delightful fruit bearing tree was first introduced into 
England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in about 1600, 
and the first is supposed to have been planted by Sir Fran- 
cis Carew, at Beddington, in the open ground. They did 
well, but had to be covered with a shed through the win- 
ter; unfortunately the winter of 1739-40 destroyed them. 
They were considered a great curiosity in their time, for 
some had attained fourteen feet high, and their branches 
extended fourteen feet ; they were nearly two feet round 
the trunk. 

The Orange generally flowers in May and June; its 
color is white, the petioles winged, and the leaves ellip- 
tical, acute, crenate ; the fruit globose, with a yellow rind, 
possessing a sweet, juicy flavor ; they grow freely from 
seed sown in the spring, and the seedlings should be 
budded in July or August to insure their bearing fruit, 
when two or three years old. It is supposed that the 
Orange is a native of Spain, and that it will live for several 
hundred year^, under favorable circumstances. It is much 



200 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

cultivated in tropical climates, and has become an article 
of commerce in all parts of the globe. When treated as 
a pot plant, it requires a rich soil, plenty of air, and abun.' 
dance of water in their growing season, but little in the 
winter, for if over watered at that season, it will drop its 
leaves, and not recover before the following spring. 

There is a large family of the Orange, some edible, and 
others cultivated more for ornament. The whole tribe is 
suitable for ladies' culture in the parlor, and when grown 
large and difficult to manage, it would be best to part with 
them, and recommence again with the seed. 



PHEASANT'S EIE, OR FLOS-ADONIS. 

(adonis AUTUMNALIS.) 

" As many drops of blood as from the wound - 
Of fair Adonis trickled on the ground, 
As many tears as Venus shed in showers ; 

Both tears and drops of blood were turned to flowers." 

This is a pretty annual for the flower garden, exhibiting 
its blood red flowers generally from May to October. The 
stem is branching, and grows about one foot high, and the 
leaves are three and compound ; the flowers cup shape, 
opening earlier or later, depending entirely upon the time 
the seeds are sown. The flower is a particularly bright 
red color, the pericarp reticulated. 

This plant is familiarly knov/n in the fields in England 



201 

as a weed. Its beautiful appearance has made it a favorite 
in the garden, nearly as much so as the Anemone, to 
which it is somewhat allied, and may be easily recognised 
with that and its varieties. Classic story says this flower 
sprung up where the blood of Adonis fell, and a fable was 
concocted from the circumstance of the wound being in- 
flicted by a boar, while hunting; hence the name of 
Adonis Flower. The signification of the Pheasant's Eye 
is the great affinity in color to the eye of a bird of that 
name in England ; the centre being black, and sur- 
rounded with a blood red. It was formerly supposed it 
possessed medical properties, but the advance made in 
chemistry has abandoned the idea of that quality. It is 
of easy culture, accommodating itself to almost any kind 
of soil. This, like a few other annuals, if sown in the 
fall, will withstand the severity of the winter ; in the 
spring it should be transplanted to where it is intended 
to flower. By sowing the seeds at different periods it 
can be brought to flower at any time in the season, thus 
making it a desirable plant. 



202 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

PORTULACA. 

(purslane.) 

" Thou art a reveller of day, 

A fair rejoicing child of night; 
Glad, while the sun beams o'er their play, 
But drooping in the quiet night." 

Poriulaca thellasoni^ splendens, and gilesii, are very 
hoary, half hardy, succulent plants, of late introduction. 
They are a species of Purslane, known so well as a weed 
in our flower garden, and so difficult to eradicate. These 
beautiful plants are decidedly ornamental in the flower 
garden, hearing flowers of a showy description, of different 
colors. It has a procumbent stem, and difflised branches ; 
leaves glabrous, alternate, and seldom opposite : flowers 
terminal in four, one expanding at a time, cup shaped, 
showing their beautiful corollas only in bright sunshine ; 
stamens inserted with the plate in the base of the calyx, 
variable in number, all fruitful ; capsula one-celled ; seed 
small, round, and numerous, of a lead color ; when ripe, 
the cap is thrown off, exposing the seed in a cup, and if 
not gathered without delay, they will be scattered by the 
Avind. The flowers last but a day. As the plants increase 
in size, the more numerous are the flowers, and they Avill 
continue to expand until cut down by the frost. P. splen- 
clens is a rosy crimson, P. thellasoni orange scarlet, P. 
gilesii a purple. 

The Portulaca or Purslane tribe are natives of the Cape 
of Good Hope, New Holland, and South America, and 



portulaca: 203 

many other parts, all of easy culture, either by seed or cut- 
tings taken off any time through the summer, which will 
grow in any common garden soil. These plants, so lately 
added to our flower garden, are not only valuable for 
their splendid appearance, but they make an admirable 
pickle. The seeds should be sown early in the spring, 
and they will generally appear in about thirty days. 
When one inch high, they should be transplanted. — 
Where a plant has once flowered, innumerable seedlings 
will appear early in the spring ; they can be easily trans- 
planted. They are desirable for the parlor, and can be 
allowed to fall over the sides of the pot, exhibiting a 
pleasing effect. When in a bed by themselves, they have 
a magnificent appearance beyond description, and should 
be in all well regulated gardens. 



PASSION FIOWEE. 

(PASSIFLORA.) 

" Who loves a garden loves a green-house too ; 
Unconscious of a less propitious clime, 
There blooms exotic beauty, warm and snug, 
While the winds whistle and the snow descends." 

This exotic beauty is a general favorite, and may be 
considered one of the handsomest climbing plants attach- 
ed to the green-house. It was named by Linnseus. The 
plant is named from passioj and flos a flower ; the cross 



204 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

in the centrej surrounded by filaments, is said to be em- 
blematical of our Saviour's Passion. This species of flow- 
er has been in cultivation for more than two centuries, 
and comprises a numerous family from Asia and other 
parts. The larger part requires the genial warmth of the 
green-house to bring them to perfection, while others are de- 
sirable for the parlor, and can be trained around the window 
during the summer, giving the room a novel appearance 
with their beautiful flowers ; in October they can be cut 
down or twisted around a stick, and placed away until the 
following spring. 

P. coerulea is hardy, and will live out of doors with 
a slight protection. The leaves are composed of five 
lobes ; the flowers pale greenish white ; the filaments 
purple at the base, white at the middle, and blue at the 
tips. It will continue to grow until killed down by the 
frost. 

P. kermesina is one of the best in cultivation. It is 
rather tender, but may be brought to flower well dur- 
ing the summer in the parlor ; the wood is rather slen- 
der, but free in growth, and abounds with flowers, which 
are a beautiful crimson, forming a fine contrast with its 
delicate foliage ; the leaves are three-lobed, and the un- 
der part of the young leaves, of a purple cast. 

P. middletoniana or fragrans^ and P. actinia^ are 
delightfully fragrant varieties. These, and many others 
are very desirable, but to name all would occupy too 
much space. All the varieties will grow readily irom 
cuttings in the early spring, and also from seed. The 
pots must be well drained, and should be not less than 
nine inches for a full grown plant. The soil must be 



PASSION FLOWER. 205 

a rich loam. In summer they need no further care 
than any other plant, which is of a running nature; 
it is, therefore, one of the most desirable exotic trellis 
plants in cultivation. In the winter they require but 
little water, and may be kept in a pit or warm room, 
but in their growing season they require abundance 
of water, and the young shoots should be kept free 
from each other, as they progress in growth; for if 
once entangled, they will be much damaged in your 
attempts to extricate and loosen their tender branches. 



PIMPERNEL. 

(anagallis ARVENSIS.) 

*' ^ or bonny Kate bound her golden hair, 
A^ith a velvet wreath for the village fair, 
And tripped with the grace of a gay gazelle, 
Where blushes the delicate Pimpernel; 
For a prophetess true is that lonely flower. 
She warns us ever of tempest hour; 
When the rain-cloud shadows her humble head, 
She folds her petals of brilliant red, 
And keeps her sunny heart warm within, 
Like a fair girl shutting out grief and sin." 

This is a delightful little annual, a native of Europe, 
wnose flowers appear to be as sensitive to the changes of 
*he weather as the barometer. It is often called the 
<' Shepherd's Weather Glass." The leaves are ovate, 



206 A GUIDE TO FLORICLTLTURE. 

sessile, and dotted beneath ; the corolla, expanding only 
in fine weather, is ragged, glandulouse. It will succeed 
in a sandy loam, and grow from cuttings or from seed. 
The flowers are orange scarlet, of engaging appearance, 
and require a trellis to show them to advantage. Their 
pretty little corollas open only when the sun shines ; when 
the clouds obscure the sky, and it is likely to rain, they 
close up. This is a singular instinct in this plant. It 
flowers from June to September. Although considered a 
weed in Europe, and found only in cultivated fields, it 
is a great favorite not only with the florist, but with 
birds and insects, who seek and devour the seeds with 
avidity. 

The beauty of this flower recommends itself to the no- 
tice of the ladies. When on a trellis, its numerous flowers 
of scarlet, with a purple circle at the eye, which open at 
7 o'clock in the morning, and close at 2, make a beautiful 
appearance. 

A. cmrulca is the blue flowered Pimpernel, having a 
carrr.ine spot on the base of each. As the scarlet is 
marked with the purple, some of the ancient writers are 
of opinion that the blue is the female and the red the 
male plant. It has often been remarked that sheep will 
not eat the blue variety, but will the scarlet. This appears 
strange, and shows there must be a vast diflerence in the 
two plants. Both plants are highly esteemed, and should 
be cultivated in the same room ; their beautiful contrast in 
colors makes them more interesting. 

A. fruiticosa, the large flowered Pimpernel, is another 
and desirable variety. The leaves are more lance shaped 
and less oval, and more splendid than A. arvensis^ and dif- 



PIMTERNEL. 207 

fer materially, as it remains open night and day, the 
weather having no effect on the flowers. It grows readily 
from cuttings, and must be kept from frost through the 
winter ; it is also propagated by seed. It will not seed un- 
less planted in the open ground in the summer ; it will be 
best, therefore, to keep some in the house and some in the 
garden. It was introduced into cultivation in 1803. 

A. latifolia. the broad leaved Pimpernel, and A. monelli^ 
the blue Italian, bear some affinity to each other. The 
first was introduced in 1759, the latter in 1648 ; both are 
desirable plants, but as they approach so near, one is 
enough in a collection. 

A. tenella is called the Bog Pimpernel ; it is a delightful 
flowering plant, found in boggy situations in Europe, flow- 
ering from June to August. The flowers are erect, on 
long axillary stalks ; corolla a beautiful rose color, deeply 
divided ; stamina clothed with numerous and curiously 
jointed hair. The nature of this plant not admitting of its 
cultivation in the garden, makes it a pot plant for the par- 
lor. It must be kept in a saucer of water, to make it 
flower to perfection, and the soil should be taken from a 
marshy place. The other plants require a loamy soil. 



208 i GUIDE TO FLOEICCLTURE. 

POMGEANATE. 

(funic A GE.ANATUM.) 

This is a "beautiful shrubby pereuuial plant, which will 
attain the height of ten feet. It is a native of Arabia, Per- 
sia, and Japan, and is cultivated chiefly for the beautiful 
appearance of its double scarlet flowers, at the ends of 
the young branches. The petals are round, somewhat 
wrinkled, and inserted in the upper part of the tube of the 
calyx ; the fruit is globular, of a dingy yellow, the rind 
divided internally in many cells, each containing an acid- 
ulous pulp, and oblong angular seed ; the leaves are oppo- 
site, oblong, pointed at each end, and of a bright green 
color, glossy, on short foot stalks. 

In tropical climates the Pomgranate is cultivated for the 
fruit, which is a pleasant acid, and of sweet delicious 
flavor, much praised as a desert among the higher classes 
of people : but with us the fruit is worthless. It is only 
cultivated for the ornamental appearance of the flowers, 
which are certainly noble in mid-summer. It is easily 
managed, and will grow in a rich loam ; in the winter it 
may be placed in the cellar, out of the reach of frost ; in 
April it should be repotted, and encouraged in its growth 
by v/atering sparingly at first, then place it on a lawn in 
the open garden, and it will expand its beautiful flowers to 
perfection. It is increased by suckers, which it sends up 
plentifully, and which should be taken ofl" in the spring, 
and potted in a rich loam, and treated the same as full 



POMGRANATE. 209 

grown plants. Cuttings, also, may be taken off in the 
spring, and treated like other cuttings. 



PANSY, OH HEART'S EASE. 

(viola tricolor.) 

" Pansies, sweet tenants of the shade, 
In purple's richest pride arrayed. 

Your errand here fulfil : 
Go ! bid the artist's simple strain 
Your lustre imitate in vain, 

And match your Maker's skill." 

It would be impossible to trace this beautiful flower to 
its origin, from its having passed under different names. 
The Greeks called it Phlox, a name how assigned to a 
very different flower. Some trace its name and origin to 
the days of fable, and identify it with lo, daughter of 
Midas, who. as the early poets say, was changed by Diana 
to a violet, to hide her from Apollo, who was enamored of 
this earth born beauty. It is a lovely allegoiy, for this 
modest flower, after the lapse of so many centuries, still 
retains the bashful timidity of the nymph, partially con- 
cealing itself in its own foliage, and that of the neighbor- 
ing shrubs and plants, and shrinking from the gaze of the 
sun in his vernal search for his long lost lo, the object of 
his love. In modern times it has gone by the more prosaic 
name of " Love in Idleness," " Johny Jump-up," "Heart's 
Ease," " Ladies' Delight," &c., but as we are adopting 

18 



210 A GUIDE TO FLOE-ICULTURE. 

French fashions in almost every thing, this pretty plant 
has taken the cognomen of Pensee or Pansy, by which it 
is generally known in Europe and America. It has 
grown much into repute, of late years, with florists. 
Twenty years ago, its size did not exceed a ten cent 
piece, though even then attractive to the eye of every 
person who had the least pretension to taste, or love for 
flowers. I have seen children sit in a garden and look at 
it with admiration for a long time, as if conscious of its 
surpassing beauty. By means of hybridizing this splendid 
variety of violets, the florist has brought them to the 7ie 
'plus ultra of perfection, and we now see them of enormous 
size, over two inches in diameter. It is extremely variable 
in size and in the color of the flowers ; the stem is angular 
and branching ; the leaves oblong, crenate ; stipules lyrate, 
pinnatified ; petioles somewhat longer than the calyx, and 
stand well, presenting a majestic loftiness. The color of 
the petals is beautifully contrasted, and the eye distinctly 
pencilled. These beautiful flowers should encourage a 
refined taste, among the ladies in particular, as they are 
well adapted for their culture, and are easily managed. 
When planted in a border, in their tasteful style, what can 
be more attractive ? The unbounded and endless variety 
of colors possessed by this flower, convinces me it is des- 
tined to be a favorite. No department in Flora's whole 
catalogue could be more congenial to the refinement of 
ladies than this unsurpassable plant ; and to enable them 
to cultivate it with the greatest ease, I will lay down such 
instruction as will give them the least embarrassment. 

The seed should be sown in pans, in the middle of Feb- 
ruary and March, and again in August and September, in 



PANSY, OR heart's EASE. 211 

a sandy loam, and as evenly as possible ; for if crowded, 
the largest plants would cause the smaller to damp off It 
will be necessary to keep them well watered ; and when 
the seedlings have acquired a few leaves, transplant them. 
On one point I would caution young beginners : never 
transplant in the months of June, July, or August, as the 
weather in this country is too warm ; consequently your 
plants would die for want of nourishment, before they 
could make fresh root. 

Roots may be divided at any time in the year, with the 
exception of the months above named, for transplanting. 
In dividing the roots, do not use a knife, let it be done 
with your fingers, and let each part be furnished with root 
fibres ; and before you put them into the ground or pot, be 
sure you wash the soil from the roots. The Pansy is a 
great deteriorator of soil, which makes it absolutely neces- 
sary to use this precaution, to meet with success. Cuttings 
make the best plants, and produce the largest flowers ; and 
the cultivator's success depends on this system of operation. 
Cuttings should be taken from young and healthy plants, 
and not exceed three joints, which must be cut with a very 
sharp knife close to the joint. If the knife is dull, it will 
press the joint injuriously, and cause a failure, and if you 
leave any wood below the joint, it will rot ; therefore be 
careful, and avoid a stem that is hollow, or you will fail. 

When your cuttings are ready, water the soil in the pot, 
and when settled, put in the cuttings to nearly one inch of 
the top, and press the soil close about them ; then cover 
them with a small bell glass, or tumbler, to exclude the 
air ; place them in the shade for about two weeks ; give 



212 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

them air and water ; when the leaves are dry cover them 
again, or the plants will damp off In six weeks you will 
begin to perceive them growing, and if inclined to run up 
tall, pinch off the tops. Sometimes your plants will grow 
tall without having any roots, but pinching off the top will 
make them throw out root fibres. Pansies propagated in 
this manner, seldom seed well ; but that is of no conse- 
quence, as you can get the finest flowers by cuttings, and 
seed can be always purchased at seed stores. 

Pansies are sometimes propagated by layering, but this 
is done chiefly with the common varieties, the cultivation 
of which is hardly worth the trouble bestowed on them, 
while we have such fine varieties. The large Pansy does 
not seed so freely as the common kind, and the plants will 
have to be watched closely when you discover seed pods, 
for it is difficult to collect them. The seed pod generally 
hangs down, as if to guard the vessel from rain, and dew 
at night ; but the day before the seed is discharged, the 
capsules will be reversed by holding themselves up ; when 
you find this to be the case, you may pinch them ofi' and 
keep them in a glass to dry and open, and the seed may be 
sown soon, as directed above. 

Whenever you find your plants surrounded with ants, 
take the roots up, wash them with soap suds, and plant 
them in another situation, or they will be destroyed by the 
aphides at the root. Should you discover the ants at a time 
the roots could not be removed with safety, take some suds 
made from whale oil soap, and water them two or three 
times ; this will destroy the aphides at the roots, and the 
ants will soon disappear. The Pansy delights in the 



PANSY, OR heart's EASE. 213 

shade, but riot under the drop of other plants or trees. It 
would be better to place them in the open ground. 



PRIMROSE FAMILY. 

(primula.) 

•' I know not what it was that made 

My heart to love thee so ; 
For though all gentle things to me 

Were dear, long, long ago, 
There was no bird upon the bough, 

No wild-flower on the lea, 
No twinkUng star, no running brook, 

I loved so much as thee ; 
I watched thy coming every spring. 
And hailed thee as a living thing! " 

This pretty little flower of poetry, the Primrose, is a 
native of England, and is found blooming in the greatest 
perfection in copses, in the margin of brooks, lanes, and 
other shady situations, during the months of March and 
April. The leaves are ovate, toothed, rugose, villous 
beneath ; umbels radical ; flower stalks as long as the 
leaves ; corolla flat. This tribe is generally considered 
to consist of the Polyanthus, Primrose. Cowslip, and Ox- 
lip, all of which are cultivated as florist's flowers. How 
these four can be considered as the same family, I am 
at a loss to tell, for the Polyanthus appears as distinct 



214 A GUIDE TO FLOracULTUifE. 

from the Primrose, as the Auricula is from the Polyan- 
thus ; consequently they will be treated accordingly. 

The Primrose is a perennial rooted plant, and can be 
propagated either by dividing the root or by seed. It has 
been the theme of many a ditty with poets, for several 
hundred years, and has sustained its reputation as a favorite 
flower up to the present day, which is more than can be 
said of many flowers now in cultivation, ten years hence. 
The color of the flower is a brimstone yellow, possessing 
a fragrance much like the Anise. When a boy, I have 
frequently found them in copses, of a purple crimson, beau- 
tiful in appearance, growing on a single stem, and flower- 
ing profusely. Where the ground contains moisture these 
flowers are most profuse and luxuriant, and in a few 
minutes a person could pick as many as he could con- 
veniently carry in one hand, at a season when scarcely 
any other flowers had made their appearance, thus en- 
livening our imagination at the approach of spring 

The Cowslip :— 

" Transplanted thus, how bright you grow; 
How rich a perfume do you yield! 
In some close garden, Cowslips so, 
Are sweeter than in open fields." 

Ye^i! the Cov^^slip luxuriates in the open meadows, or in 
the garden, throwing up a scape with a bunch of flowers 
each about the size of half a dime ; in color inclining 
to the orange, bestowing quite an enchanting appearance. 
Frequently, amongst this tribe of flowers, will be found 
the Oxlip, which appears to be a hybrid between the Prim- 
rose and Cowslip, having the stem of the latter and the 



PRIMROSE FAMILY. 215 

flower of the former. I have never seen either of the lat- 
ter sport in colors in the fields, but have by cultivation ; 
their colors, even then, are dingy, and, 1 think, are no im- 
provement on their natural hues. Primroses have the 
ascendency in that particular, for v^e see them yellow, 
white, red, crimson, and carmine ; there are also the dou- 
ble yellow, white, dingy white, lilac, crimson, and car- 
mine, all of which are magnificent. The double are 
styled by botanists, monsters, being a sport of nature ; but 
it strikes me if nature would sport more among her boun- 
teous gifts in the flower department, we should feel grateful 
for such monsters. 

The Primrose family can be easily propagated, by divid- 
ing the roots in the spring, or fall. It must not be done 
with a knife, but with the fingers, or with the end of a 
budding knife of ivory or bone ; when divided, pot each 
part that has root fibres, give them a gentle watering, and 
set them in the shade. To propagate from seed, it will be 
necessary to sow them in February, in a box or pan, with 
a compost that will retain moisture; cover the seeds lightly, 
and in six weeks they will be up ; be careful and not let 
the sun shine on them after nine in the morning, or you 
may lose the plants. The Primrose is considered hardy, 
and is really so after the first season in this country. In 
the summer this plant, like the Polyanthus, is subject to 
be injured by the red spider. This insect can be easily 
destroyed by soap suds, made of whale oil soap ; but so 
long as you can keep the plants in a healthy, growing 
state, there is no danger from them. The saccharine mat- 
ter contained in the leaves, affords them nourishment as 
the summer advances, which must be checked by water 



216 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

ing freely over the foliage, or your plants will^dwindle 
away and die. 



PHLOX. 

(l^chnidea.) 



This is decidedly one of our best native flowering plants, 
and is found growing in perfection in the Western States. 
It is perennial in duration, very showy, and strikingly or- 
namental. It is well calculated for the border of the 
flower garden, by its flowering so freely at almost all sea- 
sons of the year, depending on the variety. It is more 
cultivated in Europe than in this country, v/here many 
new hybrids have been added to the list by fecundation ; 
some of the dwarfs are well calculated for pot culture. 
The general charactor of this family of plants is pretty 
well known ; they differ but little, and the difference is 
most conspicuous among the hybrids. The capsules are 
three-celled ; the segments divided into five ; the corolla 
flat, supported by a tube about one inch long ; stigma 
trifled ; calyx five cleft ; flowers pannicled, on corymb 
elongated on the stem, or termxinate. and gorgeous in ap- 
pearance. In the open ground the platits require but little 
attention or protection through the winter, and are easily 
propagated by seed, cuttings, or division of the roots. To 
propagate from seed, if new varieties be the object, you 
must take the pollen from one flower with a camel's hair 



PHLOX. 217 

pencil and lay it on the pistil of the one you wish to cross, 
of a different variety. By this means your object may be 
obtained ; it will be useless to expect a hybrid unless the 
fecundation takes place. This will necessarily require a 
great nicety to perfect. If by cuttings the stem should be 
cut in lengths of about three joints, taken any time before 
the flowers show ; or take the lateral shoots, which will 
do as well, always cutting close under the joint ; if by 
division of the roots, it should be done in the spring 
or fill. 

The Phlox generally flowers best the second season 
after removal. To be grown well the plant should be 
removed every three or four years. The soil should be •a 
rich loam, not too dry, as the plant delights in moderately 
moist situations. By following this rule the cultivator 
will find himself amply remunerated for his trouble by a 
profusion of very desirable flowers. The late Mr. Drum- 
mond, in his travels through Mexico, discovered a very 
splendid annual variety, much esteemed and cultivated to 
great extent ; it has been named P. drummo-ndii^ in honor 
of that botanist. This variety will strike readily from cut- 
tings; and it seeds freely in any common garden soil. 



P^ONY 



Of this species there are two varieties, both magnificent 
plants, and worthy of cultivation. There are about fifty 
sub-varieties, shrubby and herbaceous. The herbaceous 
19 



218 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

is tuberous or fusiform rooted, of easy culture, and perfectly- 
hardy. It is a native of Switzerland, and other parts of 
Europe, and has been in cultivation about one hundred 
years. The most splendid variety is the P. whitlegiij a 
large white, of splendid appearance, and fragrant. P. 
fragrans is a rose color, possessing the odor and color 
of the rose, and is frequently called the Rose Pseony. P. 
humeii is a pink. All three are double and fine, and desi- 
rable in all well arranged gardens of moderate size, but 
too large for a small one. It is increased by dividing the 
root in the fall. 

For new varieties, the seed should be sown in Septem- 
ber, or early in the spring, in a box or pan, drilled in about 
half an inch deep. When the plants come up, they must 
be hept clean and be watered moderately in dry weather. 
It will take several years before the seedlings flower } they 
must be top-dressed every fall, and require some protection 
for the first two seasons; to save trouble they may be plant- 
ed in the open ground. Although perfectly hardy, it is 
best to have the roots covered w^itli old manure. If it is 
desired to increase these plants, it must be done with a 
knife, leaving an eye to every piece that has fibres. This 
shouid be done in October; and if the roots are not too 
smal], they will flow^er the next spring. 

This variety should never be removed in the spring, if 
it can be avoided, as it will not do so well ; besides, it will 
prevent the plant from, flowering that season. The shrubby 
kind is a splendid variety ; if allowed to remain out of 
doors, it will require a slight protection, and, in conse- 
quence of flowering early, the flowers are likely to sufi^er 
from the effects of spring frost. It is also increased by 



P.EONY. 219 

seed, and by layering ; if by seed, in the same manner as 
recommended for the herbaceous. As this variety is 
more tender than the other, it will require more care. 
The shrubby may also be increased by cuttings, and by 
grafting into the other root. 

The following directions are copied from Maund's 
Botanic Garden, part vi, page 241: — "In February, se- 
lect any of the stems of the Pseonia Moutan, or all may 
be used ; and, at the distance of half an inch from the 
centre of each bud, both above and below it, cut entirely 
round the stem a small ring of the bark, rather more 
than the sixteenth of an inch wide, in the manner of 
common ringing, as practised on fruit trees ; thus every 
bud Avill occupy an inch of the stem, when the direct 
construction of its bark is obstructed, both above and be- 
low, by the rings which have been cut out of it. The 
stems thus prepared, are then to be laid, horizontally, 
about three inches beneath the soil, leaving only the 
leading bud at the end of each branch above the surface. 
In six months every bud will have made vigorous shoots, 
and in general will have two radical fibres at its base. 
In August remove the soil from above the layers, and, 
having raised the newly made shoots, carefully separate 
each young root from the main layer, by passing a small 
knife from one ring to the other, cutting out about one 
third part of the old stem. The young plants should be im- 
mediately potted, to remain till they are required for 
planting out in their final situation. After thus gather- 
ing the first crop of young plants, the old layers should 
be again covered with good soil, and left as before ; and 
in the following summer, a second and greater crop 



220 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

of plants will be produced than the first season ; and, 
what is more remarkable, they will issue from vari- 
ous parts of the stem, where no trace of a bud was pre- 
viously indicated." ; 

This variety should be kept in a pit in this coun- 
try, during- the winter, and when the flower buds are 
ready to expand should be brought into the green-house, 
or parlor, to perfect them, which makes a magnificent 
show. After their flowering season is over, they may 
be placed out of doors for the remainder of the sea- 
son. 

The best varieties of this species are the Moutan 
Banksii, a pink color, very large and double, and beau- 
tiful in appearance ; and the M. papaveracea^ poppy 
flowered. The flowers of the latter are single, white, 
with a purple centre, and very magnificent, although sin- 
gle. The other varieties are fine, but the above are con- 
sidered the best by florists. 



PETUNIA. 

" Some, more aspiring, catch the neighbor shrub 
With clasping tendrils, and insert his branch, 
Else unadorned, Vv^ith many a gay festoon. 
And fragrant chaplet ; recompensing well 
The strength they borrow with the grace they lend." 

This is a beautiful flowering plant, biennial in duration, 
and branching ; leaves elliptical, smooth edge, of a light and 



PETUNIA. 221 

delicate green. It may be considered one of our choicest 

exotics, of late introduction, flowering from May until the 
frost kills them in the fall. From its habit of branching 
it will cover the space of twenty feet. It is a native of 
Buenos Ayres, from which place the seed was sent by Mr. 
Tweedie fifteen years ago. It will grow in any common 
garden soil, and the more exposed to the sun, the more 
freely will it flower. It is therefore well adapted for plant- 
ing out in the open ground, and is Avell suited for the flower 
pot, or trained to a trellis of any shape. The propensity 
of this plant for branching so much, and flowering at the 
same time, gives it a commanding appearance and makes 
it desirable for the parlor W"indow. 

There are several varieties, and when planted in a bed 
or border, they will easily cross, and seed freel}^ The 
seeds are small, but easily saved, if required, and will sow 
themselves and come up early in the spring, when they 
can be transplanted. The Petunia is easily propagated by 
seed, or by cuttings taken at any season, and when planted 
it needs no further trouble than clearing out the weeds. Its 
easy culture and fine appearance will always recommend 
it to public favor. The roots of choice varieties should be 
taken up in the fall, the branches partially trimmed offj 
and parted ; they will keep through the winter, if guarded 
against frost, and will flower better the second season. All 
biennials will not flower the first season ; this plant is an 
exception, though generally cultivated as an annual. The 
English florists have been very successful in hybridizing 
this variety, and have produced some of the most splendid 
flowers imaginable. It is to be regretted that but few 
will reach this country, as the plants do not pack w^eli. 



222 A GUIDE TO FlORICnLTHEE. 

POLYANTHUS. 

(PE-IMULA.) 

" Fair plant ! as plentiful as fair ! 
Before thou meet'st the eye, 
Thy fragrance fills the summer air, 
And tells that thou art nigh." 

This beautiful herbaceous evergreen is a perennial, 
highly ornamental, nearly equal to the Auricula. It flowers 
from March to May. The leaves are ovate and toothed, 
throwing up a stem about six inches high, bearing a beau- 
tiful truss, and emitting a delightful fragrance ; it is every 
way grateful for its delicacy. It is considered by some 
botanists to belong to the Primrose family. A Mr. Her- 
bert has endeavored to prove this, in the London Horticul- 
tural Transactions, Vol. iv, page 19. He states that from 
the natal seed of the Cowslip, he raised a Primrose, a Cow- 
slip, an Oxlip, a Polyanthus, a Hose-in-hose Cowslip, and 
a Primrose bearing its own flowers on a Polyanthus stalk. 
From this circumstance he is induced to believe that all 
are of the same family. This doctrine may have suited 
other times, when flowers were not so well understood as 
at present. There is no doubt that Mr. Herbert was sin- 
cere in his belief; but his seed may have got mixed by 
accident, or some of his flowers may have become impreg- 
nated, thus producing the difference in varieties. I have 
tried the experiment ; gathering the seed myself, but the 
result was always the same as the original plant. There 
is no florist at this day that will advance such an hypothesis ; 



POLYANTHUS. 223 

anthus be a sport of the Cowslip, or Oxlip, it is strange, 
" 'tis passing strange," that it should not be found to return 
to its primitive state, as other plants will, at times. There 
is no doubt the origin of the Polyanthus is lost, like the 
Carnation and many other plants, that have been in culti- 
vation from time immemorial. The Polyanthus appears 
to be a distinct species, as much so as the Auricula; culti- 
vation, no doubt, has much improved the one as well as 
the other. It is frequently the case you will find the 
Primrose sporting in the copses in England, where they 
bear a stronger affinity to the Polyanthus than the Cow- 
slip. Whoever saw the Cowslip sport to the Polyanthus 
in the fields? There is no doubt but the Oxlip is a sport 
between the Primrose and Cowslip. The seed of the 
Cowslip can be purchased of various colors, which is effected 
by culture. The flowers differ widely from the Polyanthus 
in beauty, form, and fragrance ; therefore the Polyanthus 
must be a different variety by itself. 

This beautiful and desirable perennial is increased by 
dividing the roots in the fall. The seed should be sown, 
if you wish to obtain new varieties, in February, in a box 
or pan, and be very lightly covered ; it is desirable to cover 
the soil with snow, if there should be any about the 
middle of the month, as you could thus sow the seed more 
evenly, and when the snow melted, the seed would be 
carried down to a sufficient depth to germinate. The soil 
should be a rich loam, and be kept moist, and receive the 
benefit of the morning sun only. When the plants appear, 
they should be protected against the spring frosts and 
heavy rains; and as soon as the seedlings will bear trans- 
planting, set them about two inches apart, in a shady 



224 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

situation, and regularly water them through the summer. 
In September the seedlings should be potted off singly^ and 
be removed to a place secure from frost during the winter, 
as seedlings are tender. 

To increase by division of the roots is the only way of 
increasing the same variety, when you have a choice flow- 
er. September is the best time for that purpose ; it should 
be done wiili the thumb and fingers, not with a Imife, which 
has a tendency to destroy the plants. It is necessary to 
divide the root once in two years, at farthest, or your plants 
will degenerate or die. There is one thing remarkable in 
good plants ; by allowing them to seed, they will frequently 
die. This must be guarded against, unless you have a 
duplicate plant. Seedlings generally produce the best 
flowers, and are the only cei'tain means of getting new 
varieties. The amateur should only save those plants that 
prove firm and with elastic foot stalks ; never allow more 
than seven flowers on a plant; observe that the eye is 
round, of a clear yellow color; the ground color of a rich 
crimson and velvety appearance, with a clear and distinct 
edging round the petals, which can be observed at twenty 
feet distance. The flower should be perfectly flat, without 
curving either way.; The pin eyed plant is considered by 
florists not fit for a show plant. This plant is liable to be de- 
stroyed by the red spider ; and the plan recommended in the 
treatise on the Primrose family is also applicable to this, to 
prevent their destruction. Maiden soil from the commons 
is the best for this plant, with one third cow manure, at 
least three years old, mixed three months, and exposed to 
the weather before used. 



POLYANTHUS. 225 

PYRAMIDAL BELL-FLOWER. 

(campanula pyramid alis.) 

This flower was once held in great estimation, but of late 
years has fallen into disrepute, notwithstanding it is a fine 
perennial flowering plant. Fashion may displace many 
of our old border flowers, but eventually they will be re- 
placed, and many of those of later introduction, cast aside. 
The leaves of this plant arc ovate, smooth, and cordate ; 
the stem upright, elongated, milky, growing about four feet 
high, pannicled, with branches from bottom to top ; leaves 
petiolated, shortly toothed, and terminated by a gland; 
corolla five cleft, spreading. This plant is found in India 
and Savoy, and was introduced into England four hundred 
years ago. It is increased by cuttings, division of the root, 
and by seed ; by cuttings from the stem before the flowers 
expand, by division of the roots in the fall, and by seed the 
same as other perennials. Like C. medium, it can bo 
grown in pots and have a good effect. C. 2^7/ramidahs is 
called the " Steeple, or Chimney Campanula," on account 
of attaining a lofty growth ; it was often trained to trellis 
work on account of branching, and then placed in front of 
the fire place to flower. It is perfectly hard}'', delights in a 
rich loam, but does not like a composition made from fresh 
manure; the compound therefore ought to be made six 
months before being used. The soil should be two-thii'ds 
sandy loam, one-third cow manure (four years old at 
least). They will then flower in the greatest perfection in 



226 



A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



the house, if allowed plenty of air in the day, from June to 
August. 



EOSE CAMPION. 

(agrastemma coronaria.) 

This is a pretty herbaceous perennial, and well adapted 
for the border of the flower garden. It is known as the 
" Mullen Pink." There are several varieties, some bearing- 
rose colored flov/ers, and others a flesh or dingy white; 
there is also a double variety, but it is scarce in this 
country. 

The single varieties are raised from seed sown in April, 
in good garden soil ; in the second season they will flower, 
and can then be increased by dividing the root in the fall. 
It was originally imported from Italy, is perfectly hardy, 
and remains green through the winter, enUvening the 
scene when scarce any other perennial assumes a pleas- 
ing aspect. 



ROCKET LABKSPUE. 227 

ROCKET LARKSPUR, 

(delphinium ajacis.) 

This is a beautiful annual for the flower garden, grow- 
ing about eighteen inches high, of various colors, and all 
double, flowering from May to June. Like many other 
valuable annuals, it succeeds best if sown in the fall, 
drilled in rows, in a bed ; and, if lightly protected in mid 
winter, will, in the spring, give the garden as much gran- 
deur as a bed of Tulips. There are a number of other 
varieties in cultivation, some perennial ; but the Rocket is 
decidedly the best, and easily cultivated. The soil should 
be rich ; never sow them in the same bed the second sea- 
son, as the Larkspur is a great deteriorator of soil. In the 
spring a second sowing should be made ; they will thus 
be in flower at different periods. 



228 A GUIDE TO PLORICDLTTmE. 

ROSE. 

(rosa.) 

" If, on creation's morn, the King of Heaven 
To shrubs and flowers a sovereign queen had given, 
0, beauteous Rose I He had anointed thee, 
Of shrubs and flowers the sovereign queen to be! 
The spotless emblem of unsullied truth; 
The smile of beauty, and the glow of youth; 
The garden's pride, the grace of vernal bowers, 
The blush of meadows, and the eye of flowers." 

The Rose is generally consiiered the Queen of Flmmrs, 
and deservedly so; ils beauty, fragrance, and majestic 
appearance, unquestionably command our admiration. 
The attributes of this inestimable beauty have never lost 
one atom of merit, from its earliest culture down to the 
present time. It is so well known to the common obser- 
ver, at first sight, as to require no particular description, 
and all the eulogium lavished on this prominent beauty, 
or any of its varieties, would fall short in doing them 
justice. 

Many rivals of late have been brought forward ; the 
most formidable among them is the Dahlia, equal in beauty 
but deficient in odor, leaving the Rose still the diadem of 
the world, in floral greatness. Could the Dahlia be once 
endowed with that essential to perfection, a grateful fra- 
grance^ then, indeed, might the lover of that flower have 
some pretension to rivalship ; until then, the Rose, the 
queen of flowers, must and will reign, predominant. 



ROSE. 229 

" Eye of the garden, queen of flowers, 
Love's cup, wherein nectarous power, 

Engendered first of nectar. 
Sweet nurse-child of the spring's young hours, 
And beauty's fair character." 

The history of the Rose can be traced as far back as 
two thousand years. Pliny, in his time, enumerated eve- 
ral varieties; the one most cultivated then was the Cabbage 
Rose, the one so common with us, which, notwithstanding 
it is so old a favorite, still retains its merited standing in the 
florist's garden. 

The Rose has been more extensively cultivated in 
Egypt, and along the Ganges, in India, than with us ; 
this probably may arise from the florist's occupation being 
more divided here in the vast number of different plants in 
cultivation. The Persians have been more attentive to 
its culture than any other people, that is, to a particular 
kind ; and we are indebted to that country for the cele- 
brated Otto of Roses, an essential oil extracted from that 
flower, which is imported into this and other countries as 
a perfume. The smallness of the quantity extracted makes 
it dear, and it may be known, when genuine, by its being 
in a congealed state, apparently as if frozen ; the warmth of 
the hand will restore it to a liquid state. A celebrated 
traveller that has visited the Palaces in Persia, describes 
the places like fairy land ; every piece of ground is studded 
with these heavenly flowers, containing the most exquisite 
perfume known, which is inhaled with every breath you 
draw, while the eye is captivated with their innumerable 
double flowers, surpassing all imagination ; neither is this 
resplendent show confined to the gardens, but their rooms 



230 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

are decorated with them, as if their presence was essential 
to their existence : — 

" Where the soft Persian maid the breath inhales. 
Of love-sick Roses, wooed by nightingales." 

The Rose was originally dedicated to Aurora, being the 
emblem of youth, and to Venus as the emblem of beauty 
and love ; to Cupid, that harbinger of danger to the female 
heart, from whom it was given to Harpocrates, the god of 
silence. The Heathen Mythology is thus partly made up 
by this delightful and prolific flower, the theme of whose 
beauty has been sung by our most celebrated poets, afford- 
ing so much subject for their versatile pens, operating on 
their minds as the dew drops afford nourishment to the 
exhausted plant, after the influence of the exuberant sun. 

The varieties of color in the Rose are innumerable, as 
well as difference in habit. It is easily cultivated either by 
seed, cuttings, layering, budding, and by suckers at the 
root. Each kind has its peculiar system, and must be 
treated accordingly. To propagate the hardy or garden 
Rose from seed, the hip which contains the seed should 
be kept dry, rubbed out, and sown in the spring. Some- 
times the seed will require one year to germinate, unless 
brought forward in a hot-house, which is not often in the 
possession of the amateur. It should be sown in a shady 
situation, and be kept moist. The soil should be a leaf 
mould and sand, equal parts. If the seed is sown in pans 
or boxes, it could be more conveniently removed into xdif- 
ferent situations, if found necessary. The seed should not 
be planted over a quarter of an inch deep. As the seed- 
lings grow and show about four leaves, pot them off, and 



ROSE. 231 

nlace them in a pit, until the next spring ; then transplant 
them into the open ground, and they will flower the third 
year ; but forwarding with bottom heat, or hot-house, will 
make many flower the first year, if not the common gar- 
den variety. Unless you have taken the proper means 
necessary to hybridize, the labor of raising from seed is 
not worth the trouble. 

Layering Roses is the most certain way of propagating 
the same variety ; it should be done about the time Roses 
are beginning to bloom ; in former times the fall wa^ con- 
sidered the best ; experience has taught the reverse, and 
layering was formerly done by merely pegging down the 
branch ; this would take a long time to form root fibres. 
The most approved plan is to peg down a branch, and turn 
up the end in as upright a position as possible, and let it 
remain several days to set ; then make a slit by cutting 
with a sharp knife, commencing at the joint, to the centre ; 
thence up half way to the next joint, the same as you would 
in layering the Carnation ; be particular that the slit be 
open when you re-peg the branch down, which can easily 
be done with a piece of moss, or some of the soil ; tie the 
branch firmly to a stake, and cover the slit about half an 
inch in the soil. Should the weather be favorable the 
layers will be ready to take off in the fall ; but prior to that 
time you had better examine them, and, if not rooted, you 
must allow them to remain till next season. 

The Rose is also propagated by suckers. If allowed to 
remain in one place any time you will find them abundant, 
though some are more prone to make them than others. 
These should be detached in November, and in two years 
they will make good flowering bushes. 



232 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Boses to be grown well, should not be allowed to remain 
over three or four years in the same place, which is evident 
by the suckers coming up some distance from the mother 
plant. If not removed, you will soon find the old plant 
sicken and die ; the soil being deteriorated, the plant ceases 
to exist for want of nourishment. 

To obtain good flowers the plants should be removed 
often, and every summer or fall the old wood pruned out, 
and mulch the roots with old manure before the winter 
sets in, and in the spring turn it over, mixing it with the 
soil, disturbing the roots as little as possible. 

The Rose is also propagated by grafting the more choice 
varieties on the root of the more common kind, which is 
done in the following manner: — Take a piece of the root, 
about four inches long, and cut a slit about one inch long, 
down the center ; then take the scion you wish to engraft, 
cutting it the length required (three eyes), the bottom 
part should be cut like a wedge, which must be inserted 
into the slit of the root ; be particular in fitting the bark of 
each as exact as possible. It should be observed that both 
should be as near one size as possible, — when done it 
should be bound with bass firmly, so that neither can 
separate from its position ; then take grafting wax, and 
cover the binding, to exclude the atmospheric air from the 
wound of the grafted part ; when completed it may be 
planted into the open ground. After the parts are united, 
which can easily be discovered by the growth, slacken the 
bandage, and to prevent accident, put a small stake in the 
ground to tie the young wood to, and it will require no fur- 
ther trouble. Grafting is performed in the spring before 
the sap begins to circulate. 



ROSE. 233 

The Rose is also increased by budding. This process 
is generally done with new varieties, and is frequently per- 
formed on running Roses, for the sake of curiosity, enabling 
a person to have different colored flowers on the same bush. 
The best standard to bud on is the Boursalt, and the best 
time to bud is July and August, when the bark will part 
freely. It is performed the same as with fruit trees, which 
mode is so well understood as to render it unnecessary to 
describe. Shakspeare says: — 

"^ You see, sweet maid ! we marry 
A gentle scion to the wildest stock ; 
And make conceive a bark of baser kind 
By bud of nobler race ; this is an art 
Which does mend nature, — change it rather; but 
The art itself is nature." 

The Scotch Rose has not been known much above 
fifty years. It is hardy and very distinct, with delicate 
limbs and foliage, profuse in flowering, and mostly double. 
It was originally found on the mountains of Scotland, 
from whence it was taken by Messrs. Dick and Brown, 
in 1793, and was single. Their attention to its culture first 
brought the flowers double. Seeding freely, this indispen- 
sable variety has been greatly augmented, and is now to be 
found in most gardens. It is easily cultivated. 

The Cabbage, or Provence Rose, is one of the oldest we 
have in cultivation, and is a desirable as well as ornamen- 
tal rose. Holland claims the parentage of this, but without 
foundation, as it was a favorite of the Romans, and was 
used in their triumphal marches. It was not known in 
Europe above five hundred years ago. It is possible the 
Dutch may have been the first to introduce it into Europe. 
20 



234 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

This variety can be traced back over two thousand years, 
and is a native of the East. 

The Moss Rose is supposed to be a mere variety of the 
Provence, which Mr. Lee, of Hammersmith, endeavored to 
prove ; it is certainly problematical. In Italy it is said to 
lose its mossy appearance, which some botanists suppose to 
be enough to prove the assertion; but this is fallacious 
reasoning-. It only proves that the climate or soil is not 
congenial to its culture. There are many flowers brought 
to this country that lose their fragrance ; for instance, the 
Mignionette, which in England is delightful, but degenerates 
in this country ; that is no argument that it was originally 
void of fragrance. Country, soil, and situation, will influence 
most exotics, more or less. The first account we have of 
the Moss Rose was in 1724. Its true history is unknown ; 
therefore all conjecture on the subject is idle speculation. 
The following little fictitious poetical explanation will 
amuse some, if it does not give the true history. It is a 
translation from a German poet: 

The Angel of the flowers, one day* 

Beneath a Rose-tree sleeping lay, 

That spirit, to whose charge is given, 

To bathe young buds in dews from heaven: 

Awaking from his light repose. 

The Angel whispered to the Rose; 

O, fondest object of my care, 

Still fairest found where all are fair. 

For the sweet shade thou 'st given to me. 

Ask what thou wilt, 'tis granted thee." 
•* Then," said the Rose, with deepened glow, 
" On me another grace bestow." 

The spirit paused in silent thought, 

What grace was there that flower had notl 



ROSE. 235 

'T was but a moment ; o'er the Rose 
A veil of moss the spirit throws, 
And robed in Nature's simplest weed, 
Could there a flower that Rose exceed ? 

The Moss \'ariety of Rose is splendid ; the calyx and 
peduncles are mossy, giving the rose a rich, novel, and 
beautiful appearance, distinct and interesting, requisites to 
be found only in this class of beauties. It is more difficult 
to root than other Roses, and it will generally take two years 
to propagate from layers ; it is therefore much easier pro- 
pagated by budding. The common Moss is the best va- 
riety, and, like the Scotch Rose, should not be pruned much, 
neither is it necessary to move it often. 

The Rose known as the French Hundred-leaf, was 
known to Pliny, as one of the greatest beauties of the Rose 
family; but it is destitute of fragrance. It is a distinct va- 
riety from the Provence j the flower stalk is upright and 
stiff, destitute of thorns, and is found on the mountains of 
Switzerland, and other places. 

The Burgundy and Damask possess a similitude, and 
are frequently confounded with each other, to those that 
are not good judges. It is commonly called in England 
Monthly, but generally, in favorable soil and situations, it 
will flower four times in the year; on this account, the 
French call it " Rose de Quarte Saison^^ This division of 
Roses is much improved of late, and is becoming a great 
favorite. 

Hybrid Roses of different classes are becoming very nu- 
merous and fashionable, and by some are now considered 
the finest in cultivation ; in ten years they will be thought 
ncthinof of. 



236 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Of the hybrid China there is a great variety, and we 
owe their origin to the China, Tea-scented, Noisette, Bour- 
bon, and the French Provence, being crossed with the 
garden Rose, by which means we are furnished with a 
splendid variety of elegant flowers, both in form and color, 
of vigorous growth, and extremely luxuriant foliage. 
Although these hybrids flower but once in the season, 
they continue so for a long time. Many run to a great 
height, and are perfectly hardy ; these will generally grow 
from cuttings taken off' in June. This class of Roses re- 
quires but little pruning, unless it is cutting out the old 
wood in November. 

The Noisette is another desirable variety ; the origin of 
this class was raised from seed of the Musk, fertilized with 
the China, and the world is indebted to this country for 
this desirable variety. Most of this class are running 
Roses, bearing their beautiful flowers in clusters, from June 
until checked by frost in the fall. This variety will stand 
out with a slight protection, and is increased by cuttings 
and layering. 

The Tea-scented China Rose is another beautiful varie- 
ty, much esteemed for its delicacy of color, and the ex- 
quisite odor of its flov/ers. It is generally grown in pots 
for parlor culture ; it is equally suitable for the open 
ground, and will survive the severity of the winter with 
slight protection, which should be removed in March, 
after the cold vt^eather is over. By this treatment the 
bushes are more thrifty, and it will bloom more abundant- 
ly. If the winter be very severe, the bush may freeze, and 
the wood die level with the ground, which is of no con- 



ROSE. 237 

eequence, as the bush will put with more vigor in the 
spring. 

The Bengal, Bourbon, and China Everblooming, or 
Daily, require the same treatment to develope their beau- 
ties to perfection : all will grow readily from cuttings, and 
the best month to propagate them is June. I refer the 
reader to the article on cuttings. 

I think, as a general class of Roses for the garden, the 
Bourbon will be found decidedly the best, blooming all the 
summer, and varying in quality and color. Its foliage is 
bright and finely shaped, perfectly hardy, and of free 
growth. It makes the most splendid Tree Rose known. 
This variety will outlive that class of Roses now coming 
into fashion, called Remontant, or Hybrid Perpetuals. 

In regard to soil for Roses, it will be found that situa- 
tion and climate will make a difference in their growth : 
experience is the best criterion. Generally, the Rose vvill 
grow best in a rich loamy soil. To tell the amateur to - 
take a certain portion of this soil, and a certain portion of 
another, and so on, only serves to distract the mind of the 
young beginner, mystifying their culture when there is 
.10 mystery about it. The best plan is to encourage the 
culture of plants ; experience is the best teacher on this 
head, and of more service than all that could be written 
by the most experienced gardeners. I find that class of 
men will differ in their management of plants. All pot 
plants require a richer soil than the same kind in the open 
ground. This arises from the quantity of water pot plants 
require, as water Avashes the substance of the soil from the 
roots, which is not the case when in the open ground. 

The Tree Rose has become quite fashionable, and is 



238 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

within the pale of any person. It only requires the trouble 
of selecting a Boursalt Rose, that has a straight shoot ; 
then bud one or more varieties into it, of any height desi- 
rable, in the beginning of August. To accomplish this 
object, it should be performed towards evening or on a 
damp day ; and if you find the bark does not part freely, 
by want of sufficiency of juice, it should be delajred a few 
days longer, or the bud wdll perish. A little judgment is 
required in selecting the bud most suited for the purpose ; 
but to enable the amateur to tell without difficulty, he 
should observe that when the bud at the end of the shoot 
is formed, it is then at maturity, and should be used with- 
out delay. Roses, properly speaking, should not be bud- 
ded before August, unless it be the China Rose ; then the 
spring will be the best. As soon after budding as you 
discover the bud has taken, loosen the bandage and trim oft" 
the top of the stalk to within two shoots of the bud, until 
the spring ; and when the bud begins to put, trim off the 
balance of the newly formed shoot. Flowers produced 
from the bud will be more brilliant than those formed on 
the original tree. In dry weather, the stock of budded 
plants will be much improved the first year, if watered. 
In preparing your buds the old practice of removing the 
wood from the bud is indispensable to your success. 
Spring budding, with the tender Roses, is not important. 
After the bud is inserted, if bass matting is not handy, 
tape can be substituted. The time required for buds to be 
established is about six w'eeks. 

The pruning of Tree Roses is practised at different 
periods by gardeners. Spring will be found the best time; 
and leaving but two eyes to each branch, will make them 



ROSE. 239 

more vigorous, and bloom more freely. Many experi- 
ments have been tried in budding the Rose on different 
shrubs, which will take ; but the constitution of the varie- 
ties is so conflicting with nature, the experiments have 
failed to be of any benefit. Those, therefore, who wish to 
change the color by this means, may consider such a plan 
abortive. When tender Roses are budded on hardy stocks, 
the wood must be sufficiently protected to withstand the 
winter ; but if the amateur has a pit or cellar, it is best to 
pot them off in November, place them in safety, and re- 
plant them in the spring. The particular mode of bud- 
ding will be found in another part of this work ; and the 
variety for use will depend on the fancy of the operator. 



ROSE BAY 

(rhododendron, ) 



This is a well known evergreen shrub, combining some 
of the most beautiful varieties of plants in cultivation. 
It grows from one to twenty feet high, branching, with 
oblong, obtuse, and thick leaves, narrower near the foot- 
stalk, and reflexed at the margin ; veined, ragged, of a deep 
color on the surface, ferruginous beneath, and surrounding 
the branches upon long petioles. The flowers are various, 
on long peduncles, and in terminal umbels. There is a 
numerous family of the Rhododendrons in cultivation ; 
those natives of this country are perfectly hardy, and are 



240 A GUIDE TO PLOmcULTtTRE. 

found growing in mountainous districts, flowering from 
May to July. 

The Ncpaul species will grow twenty feet high, and is 
decidedly the best in cultivation, producing scarlet and 
crimson flowers, truly gorgeous in appearance, and equal 
to velvet in richness ; and the flowers are abundantly 
supplied wilh a liquid sweet as honey. They may be 
increased by layering, inarching, or budding, and by 
seeds, as they are found to seed freely. They ought to 
be highly appreciated on that account, by which means 
many fine hybrids have been raised. To grow from 
seeds, the soil should be one part sandy loam and two 
parts leaf mould. In sowing, great care should be taken 
not to cover the seeds with the soil, as they are very 
minute ; never water them except with a syringe, so as 
10 imitate dew as much as possible, and keep them cov- 
ered with a purple colored bell glass. When the seed- 
lings are to be transplanted, add a little more loam to 
the composition, and the plants should be well supplied 
with water while growing. After your seedlings are 
potted off, treat them the same as the Camellia Japoni- 
ca ; the treatment of both being similar. 



RAGGED ROBIN. 

(lychnis diocea.) 

This is a perennial flowering plant, a native of Eng- 
land ; its name is taken from the ragged appearance of 



RAGGED ROBIN. 241 

its beautiful double pink colored flower. It is inclined 
to run, as the stem will grow from twelve to eighteen 
inches. It is perfectly distinct from the Cuckoo Flower 
(L. fioscvZi)^ which is often sold for it by gardeners. — 
The treatment of one, however, is the same as the other ^ 
it is easily propagated by division of the root. It does not 
seed in this country ; it should be shifted once or twice 
in the year into a rich loam, and is better for being 
protected through the winter. From May to June it is 
covered with blossoms of a rich pink color, and double. 
It is a good border flower, being perfectly hardy, and at 
the same time a fine plant for parlor culture. 



RANUNCULUS. 

(RANUNCULUS ASIATICUS.) 

" Yet still shall there be joy, 
When God hath poured forth beauty, and, iu the voice 
Of human love, shall still behold in praise 
Over his glorious gifts! O, Father! Lord, 
The all beneficent .' I bless thy name 
That thou hast mantled the green earth with flowers, 
Liking our hearts to nature." 

The Ranunculus is a beautiful, half hardy, tuberous- 
rooted perennial ; a native of the Levant, generally covered 
from May to June wi th magnificent flowers of various col- 
ors. The leaves are ternate ; segments toothed or cut, tri- 
fled ; the stem upright and branching, flowers at the extreme. 
21 



242 a" guide to floriculture. 

This beautiful flower was introduced into Europe as far 
back as 1569, and has always been cultivated as a florist's 
flower. Its appearance and habit being similar to the 
Butter Cup, found near marshy places ; it has passed under 
the name of the " Persian King Cup." The form of the 
flower resembling the Rose, the petals being shorter and 
more compact ; their colors ranging from white to black ; 
some edged, like the Picotee, and others striped like 
the Carnation ; others selfs of a richness and delicacy 
unsurpassed. 

Possessing such a diversity of colors, the Ranunculus 
has a most beautiful and imposing aspect. The flower 
stem is generally about fifteen inches high, with a flower 
at the top, and laterals ; and frequently one plant will be 
embellished with from ten to sixteen blossoms ; 

" Emblems of modest grace, 
Of unaffected dignity and ease, 
Of pure and elegant simplicity." 

The root is formed of tubers, similar to the Dahlia, but 
small, only about one inch in length. Some gardeners 
profess to have as many as eighteen hundred varieties with 
names. It is generally conceded that Joseph Tyso and Son, 
of Wallingford, Berkshire (authors of a treatise on crossing 
this flower artificially), have the best collection in England. 
Generally speaking, this flower has not succeeded in this 
country, which, I think, must be attributed to want of 
attention, in not planting them in suitable soil, and in a 
situation congenial to them in this climate. Mr. Walker, 
of Dorchester, near Boston, an enterprising florist, I am 
informed, cultivates them to perfection. A collection, car. 



Ranunculus. 243 

be purchased in England for about three dollars per hun- 
dred ; a superior assortment would cost fifty; this would 
comprise some of the most select. Those generally brought 
here and sold with Harlem bulbs, are worthless ; the tubers 
appear fair to the eye, which is all that can be said of 
them. 

The Ranunculus generally flowers a short time after the 
Tulip, if planted in February, as soon as the frost is out 
of the ground and can be worked. There are single and 
semi-double flowers, but the double are considered the 
florist's flower ; others are of no value. The florist's flower 
only wants to be seen to be appreciated. 

Probably one of the most exciting pleasures would be to 
raise those plants from seed procured from England. They 
should be sown in February, in pans or boxes, in a sandy 
loam, collected from the commons after the turf is taken 
off", with a portion of old manure, mixed at least six months 
before being used. If planted in old earth with new ma- 
nure they will rot. In the second season your plants will 
flower, and in most cases will be single; this circumstance 
should not discourage you ; still persevere, and the next 
season you will find them more double, and some of the 
best will send up a pericarp, and in most instances without 
anthers. This will be a good time to impregnate; take a 
camel's hair pencil, and collect the pollen from the anthers 
of semi-double flowers, and apply it to the pericarp of those 
possessing good proportions, and nearly double ; by fertil- 
izing the seed vessel, you will be enabled to get superior 
seeds, which will give you some advantage over those you 
can purchase. 

In planting tubers, great care is necessary to place them 



244 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

erect ; for if planted sidewise it will undoubtedly throw 
the flower stem in the same direction. The Dahlia, if 
planted upside down, will naturally find its way up, but 
not so with the Ranunculus. To this circumstance may 
be attributed so many failures by persons not acquainted 
with this fact. The proper time to divide the tubers is 
when you take them up, after the flower-stem has died 
down, as the tubers then are not so brittle as when dry. 
When the tubers appear dry, pack them in sand, to remain 
until the time of planting again. 

In England, where the summers are frequented with 
gentle showers, these flowers can be produced at any time 
through the year, by planting accordingly ; which, no 
doubt, with proper attention, could be effected in this coun- 
try. The soil best suited to the culture of the Ranunculus 
would be a fresh maiden soil with a small portion of cow 
manure four years old, well incorporated with it. The 
tubers must be planted about two inches deep, and in dry 
weather should be watered between the roots; and when 
in flower, they should be screened from the sun, to pre- 
serve the purity of their colors. 



SCHIZANTHUS. 

(retusus.) 



This beautiful annual is a native of the mountains of 
South America, and wass introduced into Europe in 1831. 



SCHIZANTHUS. 245 

It is of easy culture, and is fast gaining its way into pub- 
lic favor. The footstalk of the plant is erect ; tubes of 
the corolla longer than the calyx ; lips variously cut, mid- 
dle one, narrow shaped ; the upper, square and abrupt ; the 
seed simple, shell-like, possessing a wrinkled integument ; 
albumen fleshy. There are a number of varieties of the 
Schizanthus ; their flowers are rather fanciful and novel in 
appearance. 

All of this family grow readily in a rich loam ; the 
treatment of one suits the whole ; and the plant is found to 
do best if the seed be sown in August. When the seed- 
lings have formed two leaves they Miould be potted off into 
thumb pots, and when the pots are filled with roots, they 
should be shifted into one of three inches. Great care 
must be observed against injuring the root fibres, as they 
are tender, and cause the leaves to droop. When you dis- 
cover your plants in this condition, you must not give 
them water, even if their appearance should lead you to 
suppose that to be necessary. It should be kept from the 
frost, and in May repotted into one of five inches, if in 
tended to flower in the house ; or it may be placed in the 
open ground. To secure a second crop of this delightful 
flower, sow more seed in the spring. Such is the nature 
of its disposition to flower, that, if well grown, it will be 
studded with from five to eight hundred flowers at a time, 
and it will continue to flower about five months ; this 
makes it a desirable plant for the parlor or flower garden. 
The Schizanthus does not like a moist situation, neither 
should it be planted where the wind will affect it, or 
it will be destroyed. The soil should be a sandy loam. 



246 A &UIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 

(ORNITHOGALUM. ) 

Of this variety of bulbous rooted plants there are over 
^one hundred, and nearly the whole tribe is worthless. The 
one best known throws up a scape about four inches high, 
having a number of white star-like flowers, which appear 
in the spring. The leaves are similar to the Crocus, with 
a white stripe up the centre. It is generally planted along 
the edge of the borders of the beds, where it shows to the 
best advantage. There are one or two suitable for the 
green-house, but we seldom see them there, their places 
being filled with more desirable plants. 

There are Frenchmen periodically traveling this coun- 
try, selling plants, and shrubs, and bulbous roots ; the bulbs 
generally are healthy looking, and well calculated to de- 
ceive. The larger kinds are sold for the Josephine (an 
Amaryllis Lily), and it generally turns out to be an infe- 
rior kind of the Ornithogalum ; those of a smaller kind 
are sold for the Belladonna. It would be well for persons 
to be on their guard and purchase no plants or bulbs ex- 
cept of regular established gardeners or seedsmen, who 
pride themselves on a reputation ; and in case of any mis- 
take, you have always some resource for a correction. 
This is not the case with the warranty of a stranger, who 
generally sends another as honest as himself the following 
year, with another set of flaming pictures of nondescript 
plants, with colors contrary to the nature of flowers, in 
plants which they pretend to represent. 



SCARLET VALERIAN. 247 

SCARLET VALERIAN. 

(VALERIANA RUBRA.) 

This is a fine herbaceous perennial, growing about 
twenty inches high, smooth and glaucous, branching in 
leafy stems. The leaves are opposite, some entire, others 
toothed, sessile. The flowers are numerous, growing in 
unilateral spikes of dark pink color, scentless, flowering 
from June until the early frost sets in. This pretty flower 
is found growing in great perfection on old walls in Eng- 
land, but will not stand the winter of this country ; it 
should therefore be potted in the fall, and brought into the 
house. 

This plant was originally found growing on rocks on 
the Alpine mountains, in great abundance. It is quite 
rustic in appearance, and requires no recommendation from 
the florist. Its intrinsic worth, either as a border flower or 
for its medicinal properties, will speak its own praise. It 
does well in a loamy soil, and is quite accommodating in 
its nature as to situation, &c. It is propagated by seed 
sown in the spring, and by cuttings taken also in the 
spring, or by dividing the root, so that each piece contain 
root fibres. There are several varieties of the Valerian ; 
the Scarlet is the most desirable for the garden, and the 
others for their medicinal properties. 



248 A GUroE TO PLORIGTJLTURE. 

SNOW DROP. 

(galanthus nivalis.) 

** Lone flower, hemmed in with snows, and white as they, 
But hardier far, once more I see thee bend 
Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend, 
Like an unbidden guest." 

This bulbous rooted flowering plant is indigenous to 
England, where it is a great favorite. It is one of the 
earliest flowers to open in the spring, reminding us of the 
approach of Flora and her tribe of beauties, even when 
the snow is on the ground. It is of easy culture, and 
should be planted in the fall, at the same time as other 
bulbs. It has a delicate stem, rising a few inches, bearing 
a white flower a little tinged with green at the extreme 
end, which hangs pendent ; the leaves are smooth, of a 
light green. To make it appear to the best advantage it 
should be planted with the Purple Crocus, by making a 
ring five inches in diameter, and planting the Crocus on 
the outside, and the Snow Drop in the centre. It does well 
planted in a pot and kept in the house. This bulb should 
be kept like the Crocus through the summer in sand, or 
they will dry up. The damp atmosphere of England is 
more congenial for these bulbs than this country, as I have 
generally found them to disappear about the second or third 
year ; from which it must be inferred this climate does not 
suit them. This lessens their value as a bulb for general 
culture. 



I 



SWEET WILLIAM. 249 

SWEET WILLIAM. 

(dunthus barbatus.) 

" Sweet William small has form and aspect bright, 
Like that sweet flower that yields great Jove delight." 

This is a delightful ornamental evergreen, flowering 
profusely from May to July, and bearing all the colors so 
susceptible of imparting delight, both single and double. 
The flowers are aggregate, facicled ; scales ovate, subulate, 
with a long stem, on the top of which is formed a corymb 
of gorgeous flowers, well adapted for bouquets made in the 
French style. The leaves are lanceolate, forming alto- 
gether one of the best border flowers in cultivation. 

This perennial is a native of Germany, and has been 
many hundred years in cultivation. It is propagated by 
seeds, cuttings, and by dividing the roots in the fall. It 
thrives best in good rich soil, and is perfectly hardy. The 
double variety is best for being protected through the win- 
ter. To propagate by seeds it will be necessary to sow 
them in April. It is often the case that this plant will 
drop its seeds, which come up and flower the following 
spring. Should the winter prove severe the young plants 
will probably perish for want of strength ; therefore, by 
early sowing, the plants become strong, and the cold «^rill 
have no effect on them. Sow in April, and transplant, 
when your seedlings are about two inches high, to where 
they are intended to flower. When you discover a flower 
of superior merit, you can either propagate by cuttings or 



250 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

by dividing the root in September. Plant them out to 
gain strength before the winter sets in. You will find in 
a bed of seedlings some double ; these you should pre- 
serve, by dividing the roots, and giving them protection 
through the winter. 

This flower will easily cross with the China Pink, and 
the plants raised will partake of the qualities of both, 
making a beautiful flowering plant for the border for two 
years. Although it is easily propagated, and has become 
common, it still retains a place in all gardens, however 
small, such is the estimation this flower is held. Differen' 
gardens appear to have them of different colors. Such 
novelty makes them desirable, and they are not likely to 
be supplanted by any other 



I 



ST. JOHN'S WORT. 

(HYPERICUM KALMIANUM.) 

This ornamental shrub is not cultivated so much as it 
should be, considering its showy appearance when in 
flower, which is during the months of June and July. It 
is then literally covered with bright yellow flowers, of an 
imposing aspect. It is evergreen, and will grow readily 
from cuttings in a sandy loam ; it requires plenty of water 
during the flowering season, and is easily kept through the 
winter in a pit or cellar, watered sparingly. 



SUNFLOWER. 251 

SUNFLOWER. 

(helianthus multiflorus.) 

This is a deciduous herbaceous plant, a native of this 
country, as well as of South America ; perennial in duration, 
and quite ornamental in appearance, bearing yellow double 
flowers from July to October, growing about five feet high. 
The leaves are three nerved, scabious, the lower cordate, upper 
ovate, bearing numerous flowers at the ends of the shoots. 
In its pristine state the flowers are single ; cultivation has 
made them double. It should be divided at the root, either 
in the spring or fall ; the latter is preferable, and should be 
planted into a different place in the garden, for if allowed 
to remain in one place, and not divided, it will return to 
its primitive state, which would detract that beauty so 
desirable. 

The Helianthus is certainly a showy flower, not much 
unlike or inferior to the yellow Dahlia, to which, ai a dis- 
tance, it bears some resemblance. The sun has some 
influence on the flowers, as they will be found to turn with 
it ; the flower at twelve o'clock mid-day will face the south. 

There is an annual variety, both single and double, with 
noble flowers, very large, and more suitable for the culture 
of the oil, with which the seeds abound. The seeds are 
useful for various purposes, and if raised on a large scale 
could be used to advantage even for the use of cattle or 
poultry. 

The H. multiflorus is decidedly the best variety for the 
flower garden, and will grow in any soil. When raised to 



252 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

perfection it is seldom found to seed, which is of no conse- 
quence, as it increases fast at the roots. 



SNAP DRAGON. 

(antirrhinum.) 

This plant is an ornamental perennial evergreen ; flow- 
ers of various colors, some are magnificent. The leaves 
are lanceolate ; the flowers spiked ; seed pods in the shape 
of a calf's snout, from which circumstance it often goes by 
that name. The segment of the calyx obtuse. It is a 
native of England ; and flowers from June to August, gen- 
erally the first season if the seed be sown early, and it 
sports much in colors ; when you discover a seedling of 
extraordinary beauty take cuttings in September, and pro- 
tect them through the winter ; they will make good flower- 
ing plants for the border, in the spring ; by this plan you 
can secure one of the best border flowers we have. Al- 
though this plant is considered hardy, it is very apt to be 
cut ofl* in severe weather. It will flower better and earlier 
if protected, and will accommodate itself to almost any kind 
of soil. 



SCARLET LYCHNIS. 



SCARLET LYCHNIS. 

(lychnis chalcedonica.) 

This is a splendid hardy perennial, growing about two 
feet high, with a bunch of beautiful flowers, corymb form, 
of a beautiful dazzling scarlet in June and July ; the leaves 
are lanceolate, and cordate. It is easily raised from seed, 
is perfectly hardy, and can also be easily increased by di- 
viding the roots. It is a native of Russia, and was imported 
into England several hundred years ago. It is found to 
grow in any garden soil. The double is very desirable, 
the flowers on the top form a ball, which gives it quite a 
unique appearance. It is increased by dividing the root in 
the fall, or by cuttings of the flower stem, taken the same 
as the Scarlet Lobelia. It should never be left out in the 
winter, as it does not flower so well. There are several 
varieties of the Lychnis : most are confined to the green- 
house, being rather tender. 



SWEET PEA. 

(LATHYRUS ODOR ATA.) 



There is a great variety of the Sweet Pea ; some are ex- 
tremely pretty annuals, natives of different countries, flow- 
ering in June and July. It will flower stronger and the 



254 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

colors be more brilliant, if the seed be sown in the fall, and 
the seedlings kept through the winter in thumb pots ; or 
they may be sown in the open ground, and some litter 
thrown over them as a protection. Some of the perennial 
varieties are well calculated for the arbor, growing from 
eight to ten feet high, bearing beautiful Rose colored flow- 
ers from July to September. They need no protection 
through the winter, as they die down to the ground in the 
fall, and put forth in the spring. The perennial varieties 
are cultivated to some extent in Europe, as we generally 
find them with the Honeysuckle, entering the lattice work 
of the cottages, giving a most lively appearance to those 
dwellings throughout the summer. The flowers impart 
beauty, taste, and usefulness at the same time. 



SIDESADDLE, OR PITCHER PIANT 

(SARACENIA PURPUREA.) 

Of this singular tribe of plants there appear to be sever* 
varieties indigenous to this country, found in swamps a 
the north-western part of Indiana. The leaf is compoca 
of a hollow tube, which holds about a wine-glass of W'..tcr. 
A leafy appendage is attached to the extremity of Mch 
tube, which is said to cover the orifice in rainy weatXif r , to 
exclude it ; this is someAvhat problematical, as I could never 
see any difference in their appearance in rainy we.^ther in 
the appendage, or cover, so called. The tub& contains 



SIDESADDLE, OR PITCHER PLANT. 255 

water it is true, and flies are induced to enter their living 
sepulchre (if it may be so termed). This singularity of the 
leaf, whatever may be the design of nature, appears 
strange ; but it is generally supposed the pitcher shape leaf 
is formed to supply the plant with water during the dry time 
in the autumn. The inner parts of those hollow cylinder 
shaped leaves are lined with hair, which points downwards, 
^nd there is but little doubt that flies which enter (gene- 
rally the Blue Bottle race), when once in, are prevented from 
crawling out by the formation of the inner side of the 
tubes ; and in all probability the water possesses some de- 
leterious effects; thus destroying the insects when once 
within the convex of the leaf. 

The singularities of this plant exhibit one of the phencm^ 
enas in nature so remarkable and interesting in floriculture. 
In its cultivation it must be treated as a swamp plant. The 
soil should be taken from a swamp and kept, in its grow- 
ing season, in a pan of water, and the plant itself surround- 
ed with moss. It maybe increased by seed, or by division 
of the root. If by seeds, they should be sown in the 
spring and be kept moist. When the plants are of suffi- 
cient size transplant into five inch pots, and treat them the 
same as full grown plants ; if by division of the roots it 
should be performed in the spring or fall. It will not thrive 
in the sun ; the shade is indispensable to flower them to 
perfection. 



256 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

TEN WEEK STOCK. 

(mathiola anna.) 

'* Oh faint, indeed, are outward hueSj 

Compared with thy rich mental light ; 
Each day thy thoughts their rays diffuse, 
Yet grow each added day more bright." 

This is a beautiful annual variety of flowering plants, 
bearing flowers of different colors nearly the whole season. 
The stem is herbaceous, erect, and branching ; the leaves 
lanceolate, blunt, and hoary ; the seed pods long, without 
glands. Plants generally flower in ten weeks after the seeds 
are sown under favorable circumstances, and by sowing them 
at different periods they may be brought to flower at almost 
any season, in the green-house. It is sometimes called the 
" Gillifiower" and of this genera there are a number of 
varieties ; the best are the Brompton, Q,ueen, Nosegay, and 
many others of late introduction, some with Wall flower 
leaf; the whole family v/ill grow well in a sandy loam. 

The Stock is highly esteemed for its fragrance, easy 
culture, and showy appearance in the flower garden, or in 
pots, with the exception of the annual variety ; the others 
will require protection through the winter, being biennial 
in duration. 

It is the opinion of some botanists that the seed vessel 
which produces the double variety is diseased ; this may 
arise from local causes ; consequently the flowers are de- 
prived of the fructification necessary to propagate the spe- 
cies. By examining the flowers frequently a single anther 



TEN WEEK STOCK. 257 

will be found, which is the only part possessing fecundat- 
ing properties, which, like disease, generally affect those 
near. The infectious parts operate on the single flowers 
within their vicinity, contaminating the others and pro- 
ducing diseased flowers, or, in other words, double flowers. 
This may be true logic, and not understanding botany suf- 
ficiently, I cannot contradict its doctrine. If seeds that 
produce double flowers be diseased, it is surprising that so 
many plants of a double nature are so vigorous in growth. 
We know that people of a diseased nature have generally 
a weak instead of a robust constitution, and that their pro- 
geny are generally the same, and will soon cease to exist ; 
thus we often see a whole family cut off by consumption. 
I should suppose, by analogy, that plants were subject to 
the same fatality. 

I have noticed gardeners, who were in the habit of rais- 
ing Stocks, tie the double and single flowering stems to- 
gether ; this is termed by the florists, marrying them, or 
in other words, I suppose, to convey the disease to the sin- 
gle, in case the Bee should not perform the operation so 
desirable to the florist to obtain double flowers. It is also 
asserted that the Bee will not go from flower to flower of 
a different family. How that insect should possess so dis- 
criminating a knowledge is strange. The works of " na- 
ture's God" appear wonderful, far beyond the understand- 
ing of man. This knowledge cannot be imparted to the 
Bee to prevent plants of a different genera from being 
crossed ; for we know that flowers within the proximation 
of each other will hybridize without the Bee. Plants of a 
different genera have been crossed by the skilful hand of 
the florist, but with more difiiculty than others : and unlees 



258 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

the different plants ripen seeds in this country I admit 
its futility, and when such plants are crossed, they are of 
short duration, because, being opposite to the laws of na- 
ture, or, as botanists may term it, being of diseased consti- 
tution, it brings on a natural decay, and thus ceases to exist. 
There is much to learn on this subject ; and it is to be re- 
gretted that every florist is not a botanist, as many errors 
in regard to plants could be easily corrected. It is evident 
that the seed pod of the Stock producing the double flowers 
is diseased, as may be discovered in their malformation, by 
being a little drawn out of shape ; but whether the seed be 
also diseased, is a question of mere speculation. 

If the seed of the Balsams are improved by keeping 
several years, would not the Stock also improve by the 
same treatment? Many statements made by botanists 
years ago are now considered nugatory. The understand- 
ing is enlarged by education ; and, once enlightened, it 
is the nature of mankind to be delving into the merits, 
causes, and effects of things. So it is with the florist in 
his researches, as well as the botanist. Cultivation has 
done much in the improvement of flowers — the monstro- 
sity of the vegetable kingdom appears strange in the ano- 
maly of nature, but double flowers are so apparent as to 
create no doubt; but the mystery of producing, or rather 
the cause, is not so fully explained as may appear at, first 
sight ; still the age of seed may in some degree have a 
tendency to weaken the germinating properties of the 
seeds, and cause them to produce stamens instead of pe- 
tals. In this way the seed may be diseased, and yet pro- 
duce strong plants. 



TUBEKOSE. 259 

TUBEROSE. 

(polyanthus tuberosa.) 

This well known bulbous rooted plant is a native of the 
East Indies. It has been in cultivation ever since 1629, 
and is generally admired for its grateful fragrance. The 
climate of this country is well adapted for its culture, while 
that of Europe, being too cool and damp, does not do well 
the second season, even if cultivated in the green-house, which 
makes England dependent on this country and Italy for 
its yearly supply. The bulbs increase fast, enabling the 
florist to raise great quantities ; and it has become a great 
article of exportation every season. The flower has nothing 
very prepossessing in its appearance, which is a double 
white; but the fragrance emitted is certainly delightful, 
and desirable for the garden or parlor. Its culture is easy, 
either in the pot or the flower garden. If cultivated in a pot 
one of five inches is the best size ; plant them two inches deep ; 
the soil should be a sandy loam, and if intended to flower 
early can be forwarded with bottom heat in March. As 
the flower stem advances it should be supported with a 
stick. When planted into the open ground the last of 
April is the best time, as the plant is tender and liable to 
be destroyed by the spring frost. The leaves of this plant 
are linear, slightly channelled, about twelve to fifteen inches 
long, of a pea-green color ; the stem is from three to four 
feet high ; flowers double, and spiked, not more than two 
or three are expanded at a time; generally odoriferous; 
rather dingy in color. 



260 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

In planting the bulbs it will be necessary to divest them 
of all offsets, otherwise the plant will not flower, for the 
offsets derive too much nourishment from the main bulb, 
and prove injurious. The offsets should be planted in a 
bed by themselves, and in the third season they will flower. 
When the frost destroys the foliage in the fall take them 
up, and place them in a room to dry, previous to packing 
them away for the winter ; or the bulbs can be packed in 
dry sand, and then are not so likely to be injured by frost. 

This plant is well calculated for the parlor, as it will 
bear much confinement in a room, and is not injured if 
kept from the window while flowering, and when done it 
may be turned out of the pot, w^ithout disturbing the ball, 
into the open ground, which will save much trouble. When 
this bulb is planted in a moderate sized garden, after the 
rays of the sun have declined, it will be filled with fra- 
grance, refreshing the mind, in the cool of the evening, 
after the avocation of the day is spent. 



TEA. 

(thea chinensis.) 



This is an evergreen shrub, a native of China and 
Japan, cultivated to a greater extent in China than the 
latter place. It being so near related to the Camellia 
Japonica, the treatment of one is also applicable to the 
other. In the green-house this plant seldom exceeds six 



TEA. 261 

feet in height. The branches are alternate and numerous, 
furnished Avith elliptical, oblong, lanceolated pointed leaves, 
and serrated, with the exception of the base ; smooth on 
both sides, shining, marked with a rib, and veined, sup- 
ported alternately on short foot stalks, two or three inches 
long, and about one wide. The flowers are sometimes 
solitary, and in clusters of three occasionally, at the axiles 
of the leaves, bearing a flower similar to the Myrtle, con- 
sisting of a short green calyx with five lobes, the corolla 
four or five, large snow white petals ; stamens numerous, 
with yellow anthers connected at the base, and a pistil with 
a three parted style. Fruit and capsule three celled. 
How many varieties of the Tea plant exist is uncertain. 

The article imported as a beverage is picked from the 
same plant at different seasons, and the different modes of 
curing the leaves make- their difference in the import- 
ance and worth, rather than in being the proceeds of dif- 
ferent varieties of plants. As an evergreen plant, the Tea 
is certainly ornamental, and, like the Camellia, will bear 
considerable frost. There is no doubt if this plant sported 
in colors, like its prototype, the Camellia, it would be 
equally as much propagated ; still it is deserving the foster- 
ing care of lovers of ornamental shrubs. It is easily pro- 
pagated by seed sown in the spring in a rich sandy loam. 
When the seeds are up and two or more leaves appear, 
they should be potted off carefully into the smallest size 
pots, and when re-established, should be treated the same 
as if full grown ; the third season the seedlings will, under 
J roper treatment, flower and bear fruit. 



263 A GUIDE TO FtOEICCLTnKE. 

TIGER FLOWER. 

(tigridia conchiflora.) 

" This, nor gems, nor stores of gold, 
Nor purple state, nor culture, can bestow; 
But God alone when first his active hand 
Imprints the secret bias of the soul. 
He, mighty Parent! wise and just in all^ 
Free as the vital breeze or light of heaven, 
Reveals the charms of nature." 

This plant is a native of Mexico, belonging to Mona- 
delyhia Triandria of the natural order Iridecs, and is 
much esteemed for the beauty displayed in its singular form 
and color, which is a splendid yellow, cup shape, the 
centre tinged and spotted with bright crimson, so diversi- 
fied as to give a unique appearance ; it is composed of six 
petals ; the cup itself is about two inches across ; the outer 
petals are reflexed, and would measure about four inches 
across ; the stem is over two feet in height, and, like most 
Mexican plants, it is rather tender ; in a dormant state it 
must be packed in sand (dry, of course), and placed where 
the frost will not injure the bulbs. 

To flower this plant well will require a rich sandy 
loam ; it will not succeed in a clay soil which is too stiff, 
unless made rich with manure and a portion of sand to 
render it of such consistence as to admit the root fibres to 
pass through with facility. Many persons are curious in 
raising bulbous roots from seed, for the sake of new varie- 
ties ; but with regard to this genera, I should say it is not 



TIGER flower; 263 

worth while, as it would take several years to bring them 
to bloom. 

Tigridia conchiflora is a species of the Iris, but not like 
them in many particulars, for the Iris will sport in colors, 
this plant will not; consequently as no new varieties 
could be obtained, it would be futile to raise from se -d 
more particularly as the bulbs increase fast at the root, and 
the offsets in most cases will flower the first or second 
year. As this plant will not cross with the Iris, there ap- 
pears to be a difference in their nature and habit. There 
are two other species of Tigridia, but T. conchiflora is 
decidedly the greatest favorite with florists. To have early 
flowers it will be necessary to plant the bulbs in pots the 
beginning of March, and place them in a gentle heat, or 
in a frame under glass, to guard against frost, and be care- 
ful in watering them, or you will cause them to rot. — 
Towards the last of April you can plant them into the 
open ground about two inches deep. 

These plants make a very pretty appearance when in a 
bed of several dozen. ' The flowers last but one day, and 
nature in a measure has amply compensated for so short a 
life, as the plants continue to throw up flowers ; and when 
in a bed, from the circumstance of their flowering for six 
or eight weeks, the excitement created for so long a time 
is truly pleasing, by their gaudy appearance, making them 
very desirable even in a small garden. From the easy 
culture of this plant any person with the least judgment 
can manage them. I presume the bulbs could be ob- 
tained of any gardener near principal cities, or at the seed 
stores, at a fair price. On the appearance of cold weather, 
if the frost be intense, which sometimes is the case, throw 



264 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

matts over the bed, or you may lose them ; the next day 
you had better take them up, dry and pack them in sand ; 
be careful that your bulbs be sufficiently dry, or they will 
mould and rot. 



TULIP. 

(tulip geseriana.) 

»' Then comes the Tulip race, whose beauty plays 
Her idle freaks, from family diffused 
To family, as flies the father dust, 
The varied colors run ; and while they break 
On the charmed eye, the exulting florist marks 
With secret pride, the wonders of his hand." 

This is one of those ornamental bulbous rooted plants 
that has created so much excitement in the floral world, 
flowering in April and May. Stem generally one flowered 
and smooth ; corolla at the extreme ; petals acute, bearded 
at the end ; leaves lanceolate. This beautiful and grace- 
ful flowering bulb is a native of the Levant, and is also 
common along the banks of the Bosphorus and different 
parts of Syria. It was first taken from its native country 
over two hundred and sixty years ago, and has created 
much excitement among florists up to the present epoch. 
When first discovered their colors were crimson and yel- 
low ; the florist, by care and good management, has made 
them produce all the gorgeous colors imaginable, and so 



TULIP. 265 

harmoniously blended as to impart gaiety and splendor not 
to be found in any other flower in cultivation. Such is the 
infatuation produced by the Tulip, that when a person once 
begins to be acquainted with them, they absorb the whole 
mind, as if by magic, from the pursuit of other flowers ; 
indeed the mania was so great for them, in 1637, that a 
collection of 120 bulbs sold at auction for over forty-two 
thousand dollars ; one variety with ofl^sets out of that list 
sold for near twenty-five hundred dollars. The following 
is extracted from the Encyclopaedia Americana, which 
gives an account, almost incredible, of their estimation in 
former times: — "In 1636 and 1637, a real Tulip mania 
prevailed in Holland. Bulbs, which the seller did not 
possess, were sold at enormous prices on condition that 
they should be delivered to the purchaser at a given time ; 
13,000 florins were paid for a single Semper- Augustus ; for 
three of them together, 30,000 florins; for 148 grains weight, 
4500 florins ; for 296 grains of Admiral Lief kens hock^ 
more than 4000 florins ; for Admiral Enkhuigen^ more 
than 5000 florins ; and for a Viceroy^ on one occasion, W9s 
paid 4 tons of wheat, 8 tons of rye, 4 fat oxen, 8 pigs, 12 
sheep, 2 hhds. of wine, 4 barrels of beer, 2 barrels of but- 
ter, 1000 pounds of cheese, a bundle of clothes, and a 
silver pitcher. At an auction, in Alimaer, some bulbs 
were sold for more than 90,000 florins. An individual, in 
Amsterdam, gained more than 68,000 florins by the trade 
in four months. In one city in Holland, it is said, more 
than 10,000,000 Tulip bulbs were sold, but on account of 
the purchasers refusing to pay the sums agreed upon, the 
States General, April 27th, 1637, ordered that such sums 
should be exacted like other debts in the common way j 

23 



266 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

the extravagant prices fell at once, and a Semper-Augusfus 
could be had for 50 florins ; yet the profits of raising rare 
bulbs were considerable ; and, even at present, we find 25 
to 150 florins the price of a single rare Tulip in the cata- 
logues of the Harlem florist's. Until the time of the 
French Revolution, the florists of Harlem obtained their 
bulbs principally from Lisle, and other towns in Flanders, 
where the clergy were engaged in raising them." 

The mania was not confined to Holland altogether, for 
the English found the business so profitable as not to per- 
mit the Dutch to engross the whole ; the English florists, 
by crossing and re-crossing their flowers, were enabled to 
eclipse their neighbors with their beauty and magnificence, 
thus causing a decline in price in new varieties. 

The Tulip is still dear, that is, choice varieties ; a mode- 
rate variety could not be purchased for less than three hun- 
dred dollars, when twenty years back the same collection 
would cost four times that amount. This is not to be won- 
dered at, when we take into view the time and uncertainty 
of raising good flowers. Those cultivated in this country, 
generally, are no criterion to judge of the merit of the fine 
kinds ; those brought from Holland being nothing but the 
rubbish of that market, the good kinds being prized too 
much in Europe to find a ready sale here. In 1629 there 
does not appear to have been over 140 with names; in 
1792 the number had increased to 665 ; and in 1820 I saw 
a catalogue, published by one Mason, containing 900. 
There is one called Fanny Kemble, raised from seed since 
that publication, that has been sold at an administrator's 
sale for about $500 ; there being but one offset propagated 
at that time, it will be many years before that variety will 



TULIP. 267 

be down to five dollars ; consequently it will not soon find 
its way into this country. 

The Dutch were the first to classify their bulbs, which 
was done in the following order : Primo Bouquet, white 
and brown stripes ; Bouquet Bagnettes, not so tall as 
the former, but the cups are as well formed, with white 
ground and brown stripes ; Incomparable Verports, the 
cups cherry and rose, on a white ground; Bybloemens, 
nearly white ground, with stripes of various colors; 
Bizarres, the ground yellow, with irregular stripes oi 
different colors. The English florists class theirs in 
four varieties, something after the Dutch manner. All 
the classifications are arbitrary and perplexing to the 
amateur, and it would be superfluous to insert them. — 
There is another circumstance attached to these flowers, 
still more perplexing, and that is, the taHe required to 
judge of what is termed a good Tulip, being artificial, 
requiring time and familiarity with them to acquire 
what is termed a good judgment to speak of their merit 
or demerit. When this circumstance is taken into view, 
we need not wonder that a stranger is so much attract- 
ed at first sight with the common red and yellow striped 
varieties. 

The Tulip is raised from seed, and increased by offsets ; 
by seed new varieties are obtained, but the process is slow 
and uncertain. To raise from seed, will take seven years 
to bring them to flower, and probably as many more to 
break their colors, and then you may not produce one as 
good as that you saved the seed from. To propagate by 
offsets is the only way of increasing the same kind ; they 
will multiply fast. Beds for Tulips should command an 



268 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

airy situation ; the soil a sandy loam, four feet wide, and 
in length according to the number of bulbs. In setting 
out Tulips dibble them in five inches deep, planting seven 
bulbs across the bed ; the distance the other way should be 
nine inches apart, that is from row to row. In Europe 
much pains is taken in preparing the beds, and placing 
sand under and around the bulbs ; there is no necessity for 
anything of the kind in this country, as the soil generally 
contains sand enough in it. Tulips should be planted 
from October to December ; as a general rule, it will be 
found that the middle of November is preferable ; for after 
the latter time, the weather is uncertain ; about Christmas 
place a layer of old manure on the bed about half an inch 
thick. This will protect them from heavy rain and frost j 
but it must not be removed before the beginning of March, 
and not then unless the weather is mild. In the spring 
keep your beds free of weeds, and if you find the ground 
binding, loosen it, and your flowers will be benefited by 
the operation. During the blooming season if protected 
by an awning from the sun and rain, the flowers will last 
much longer, and their colors be more brilliant. The 
English florists generally plant what is termed a reserve 
bed, the flowers of which are generally for bouquets, and 
not held in great estimation, for the florist will never cut a 
first rate Tulip, as the bulbs are then apt to canker the 
next season and die. When Tulips are cut for exhibition 
it is seldom the flower is cut more than one inch from the 
cup, as then their liability to canker is not so great. 

The Tulip does not require so rich a soil as the Hya- 
cinth, as their colors will run, and may take a long time 
to restore them. Six weeks after blooming the bulbs will 



TULIP. 269 

be in a fit state to take up, which must be done on a clear 
day, and the ground dry if possible. Place them in a room 
to dry, where there is a free circulation of air, for three or 
four weeks, then place each variety in a hag and mark 
it, and place the bags in a box or drawer until the time of 
planting. It is advisable to take bulbs up every season, 
and separate the offsets, which should be planted by them- 
selves, as many will not flower the first season ; so that 
offsets may remain in the ground two years without re- 
moving. There are some double varieties of Tulips, well 
calculated for flowering in pots, and these should be placed 
in pots in September, if wanted to flower early, and the 
pots sunk in the ground ; in December lift them, wash the 
pots clean, and place them near the glass, the same as 
Hyacinths. Neither the Double or Sweet Scented are con- 
sidered choice flowers, though there is novelty in their 
appearance. 



TASSEL FLOWER. 

(CACALIA COCCINEA.) 

This is a pretty and graceful annual, of a bright scarlet 
tassel-like flower, growing about eighteen inches high. It 
flowers from June to August, and is a native of New Hol- 
land. It will grow in any common garden soil. The 
seeds should be sown early in the spring, and be trans- 



270 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

planted into the borders in May, where its delicacy will do 
justice to that department. 



VELVET COCKSCOMB. 

(CELOSEA CRISTATA.) 

This is one of our greatest ornamental border plants, 
and is half hardy, flowering from June to September. If 
wanted to flower early the seed should be sown in a hot- 
bed, and be transplanted after the danger of frost is over. 
It is a native of Asia, and t-o be grown well must have a 
rich soil. The flowers, if cut off before the frost touches 
them, will retain their beauty nearly the whole winter. 
There is a great variety of the Cockscomb, and of colors J 
the whole family is ornamental. 



VARIEGATED EUPHORBIA. 

(euphorbia variegata.) 

An annual, very showy in a large garden, where it is 
cultivated for the magnificent appearance of the leaf, which 
is a beautiful green with a silver stripe or edge. It is a 
native of the Rocky Mountains, and when placed in a 



1 



VARIEGATED EUPHORBIA. 271 

bouquet appears to great advantage. Although showy it 
ought to be excluded from all gardens where children have 
free access, for such is the deleterious effects of the leaf, if 
allowed to come in contact with the lips, it will cause the 
part to blister ; the irritation may lead to other, and proba- 
bly worse, consequences. There is a variety of Euphorbia 
mixed with some Cactuses, but easily distinguished, and the 
whole tribe is worthless. 



VERBENA 

(melindre.) 



*^ Some clothe the soil that feeds them, far diffused, 
And lonely, creeping, modest, and yet fair." 

This is decidedly one of the best exotics in cultivation. 
It was first imported as far back as 1640, but does not ap- 
pear to have created any sensation among florists until 
within the last thirty years, when many beautiful species 
were introduced into Europe. The flowers are formed ag- 
gregate ; the leaves jagged; stem branching. The Ver-' 
bena will flower from March until November. 

It is a native of Buenos Ayres, and is there called 
Melindre^ but Melindre officinalis is a native of England, 
a plant possessing no merit. Those of late introduction 
are new, and are becoming plentiful ; possessing such re- 
markable beauty, they will supplant many flowers now 
considered indispensable. From the nature of the plant 



S72 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

there appears no difficulty in its cultivation, like the Petu- 
nia ; and it is equally or nearly as ornamental and desira- 
ble, in the parlor, as in any well regulated garden j indeed, 
the latter is not complete without both, and both are suita- 
ble for rock work. It is increased by seed, or by cuttings 
t^ken any time between March and September. 

To raise them by seed they should be sown in a light 
rich soil, in March, and be kept moderately moist When 
large enough, transplant into the open ground, which will 
be some time in May. To increase by layers the best 
way will be to sink a pot, filled with rich soil, near the 
plant, and peg the joint in the centre, and, when rooted, 
detach it from the parent ; nothing more is required than 
to treat it like other plants. The Verbena likes a 
good drainage, and but little water in the winter. In 
the spring, as the plants begin to grow, water them 
moderately. You will find, in May, where your plants 
grew in the open ground, that if you had different varieties 
planted, many new varieties will come up, as the Verbena 
will easily cross. A bed of Verbena, when well arranged 
in regard to color, makes a delightful appearance beyond 
conception. 



WINGED AMMOBIUM. 

(ammobium alatum.) 

There is something pleasing in this annual, being rather 
showy and singular in its appearance, flowering from Jun3 



WINGED AMMOBIUM. 273 

to Aug-ust, and throwing* up a stem two feet high and 
branching ; the flowers solitary at the extreme. They bear 
some resemblance to the Eternal Flower, yellow, with a 
single whorl of white petals round the edge, reflexed. 
The stem is concave, the corners or edge thin, hence arose 
the name. Winged. The leaf is a dingy yellow or light 
green, clustered near the ground. It is half hardy, and will 
grow in any common garden soil. It generally sows its 
own seed, which comes up early in the spring, and can be 
transplanted to where it is wanted to flower. 



WHITE IIIY. 

(lilium candidum.) 

" Yet in that bulb, those sapless scales, 
The lily wraps her silent vest, 
Till vernal suns and vernal gales, 
Shall kiss once more her fragrant breast." 

This is a bulbous rooted perennial, a native of Syria and 
Asia Minor, and was supposed to have been brought to 
Europe by the Crusaders, sometime during the " Holy 
War." It is one of the oldest exotics in cultivation, pos- 
sessing extraordinary beauty, embellishing the flower 
garden with white flowers of the sweetest odor of all the 
floral tribe. The leaves are lanceolate, scattered, and nar- 
rowed at the base ; the corolla companulate and smooth 
inside ; the stem about five feet high, bearing from six to 



274 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

twelve gorgeous flowers of virgin white, in May and June. 
The bulb is composed of imbricated scales without odor, 
and of a disagreeable flavor. It contains a small portion 
of an acrid principle, and much mucilage, which is 
greatly diminished by boiling. It has been used for the 
dropsy. The odor of the flowers is imparted to oil or 
bear's grease, and is used by perfumers ; mixed with lard 
it is used as a liniment, as a soothing application for eX' 
ternal inflammation. It appears to have sprung up in the 
heathen mythology, and was called Juno's Rose. It was 
known and cultivated in the Jewish nation. 

" So mixed the Rose and Lily's white, 
That nature seemed uncertain quite, 
To deck her cheek, what flower she chose, 
The Lily white, or blushing Rose, 

The White Lily will grow in any soil, but it prefers one 
rather light than binding. It is increased by offsets. The 
bulbs should be taken up in July, after the leaves and stem 
die down, and should not be kept out of the ground over six 
weeks. Separate the offsets, and then plant them accord- 
ing to fancy, round the garden ; if in rows, about eighteen 
inches apart. This bulbous root is so hardy as to require 
no protection in the winter. 



WALLFLOWER. 275 

WALLFLOWER. 

(CHEIRANTHUS CHEIRI.) 

** It sheds a halo of repose 

Around the wrecks of Time; 
To beauty give the flaunting Rose, 
The Wallflower is sublime." 

This is truly a delightful ornamental evergreen under 
shrub, growing about two feet high. It is found growing 
in perfection on old walls and castles in England, bearing 
yellow flowers from April to July. It is delightfully fragrant, 
beyond all the perfumes of Persia. The leaves are lanceo- 
late, entire, hairy, two parted ; pods linear ; stigmas with 
incurved lobes. The Wallflower delights in old walls, 
where it grows to better perfection than the florist can make 
it by cultivation. Whoever has visited England, in the 
spring, must be familiar with their attractions, and found them 
irresistible, when passing the ruins of an old castle, or walls, 

" For the obedient zephyrs bear 

Her light seeds round 'yond turret's mould. 
And, undisputed by the tempest there, 
They rise in vegetable gold." 

yes I after withstanding the cold blasts of winter, this 
charming flower appears, making the spring more delight- 
ful than we could imagine it before. There are several 
varieties of the Wallflower, and all attractive ; but the best 
in cultivation is a semi-double, from Germany, so fragrant 
as to ravish the senses with its fragrance ; it has a more 



276 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

powerful aroma than the double, and also seeds freely, 
enabling us to increase by that means as well as by slips. 

To increase by seeds it will be necessary to sow them in 
April, in a sandy loam, and when six leaves are formed 
transplant them into four inch pots, which will be large 
enough to winter them in ; in the beginning of February 
shift them into one a size larger. 

To propagate from slips it will be necessary to take 
them off in the months of May and June, after flowering. 
This is decidedly the best way, when you have a plant 
whose attractive beauties surpass others. 

The slips should be planted round the pot, for if they 
come in contact with the sides, the plants will root more 
readily. Due moisture is absolutely necessary to their 
striking root. In September pot them offj and treat them 
the same as seedlings. 

The Wallflower will not stand the severity of the winter 
in this country ; every precaution must, therefore, be used 
for their protection ; if not kept near the glass (in a pit) 
the plant will be drawn up, and its symmetry destroyed. 
It may be improved by mixing old lime and rubbish with 
loam. This will have a tendency to harden the wood, and 
make the flowers more fragrant, than if planted in a rich 
soil. It is well known that sowing the seed of Mignonette 
in rich soil has a great tendency to destroy its fragrance ; 
and 1 think the same theory will apply to most fragrant 
flowers. 



WASH TO DESTROY INSECTS. 277 



WASH TO DESTROY INSECTS. 

Most plants, subject to parlor culture, are liable at differ- 
ent seasons to the attacks of insects, particularly the green 
fly on Roses, Geraniums, Calceolarias, and many other 
plants. When you find your plants infested with these 
troublesome insects, make a wash with two pounds whale 
oil soap to sixteen gallons of water ; mix them at night, 
and the next day, after stirring them well, will be fit 
to use, and may be syringed over the plants, or the 
branches may be dipped into the suds, and the insects will 
disappear the next day. 

This is a good wash for plants when infested with the 
scale bug (which adheres to the stem), by taking a piece 
of sponge and cleansing the stems of your plants. Olean- 
ders, when troubled with insects, should be treated in the 
same manner. The suds will also be a stimulus to the 
groAvth of the plants ; there is, therefore, no danger to be 
apprehended from its penetrating the soil in the pots. It 
should be observed, if you mix a greater portion of soap 
than mentioned above, the leaves will drop off the plant, 
but they will soon put out again. To kill caterpillars the 
decoction should be made stronger ; it will be found to de- 
stroy them effectually, when syringed on them, but it will 
be necessary to break their web previous to the operation. 



278 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OP 
PARLOE PLANTS. 

In the culture of flowers in the parlor there is a growing 
taste, which should be encouraged. It was not my inten- 
tion to offer any inducements on the subject, as my object 
Avas to give as much information as possible. I now deem 
it best to point out the plants best suited for that purpose. 
The aptness so characteristic in females to propagate flowers, 
with little instruction, is manifest to any person perambulat- 
ing the city and its suburbs. Still there are many flowers 
now cultivated that may be considered worthless by many, 
for it will be found that a plant admired and propagated by 
one person may not be fancied by another. All flowers 
possess some attraction, though a discriminating taste will 
differ in persons ; this is all proper. Many are cultivated 
from the facility of obtaining those most accessible, but 
the choicer exotics are more diflicult to manage than 
others. Those will be left out of the selection named 
on page 282, where I have retained those only that can 
be easily managed. The choice of plants in a city is 
easily obtained ; but those diflicult to manage will never 
realize the expectation of the amateur for the outlay he 
may be induced to make ; such are also excluded. Enough 
can be had to satisfy the desire of affording a gorgeous dis- 
play in their season. 

The management of well selected plants for the parlor is 
more difficult at one time than at another, for a variety 
may embrace so extensive an assortment that their treat- 



SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OP PARLOR PLANTS. 279 

ment will materially differ. The various genera of plants 
require great care in the winter season from the difference 
of heat in the room through the day and night. In the 
day plants should receive a due portion of light and air. 
To make them thrive in a room as healthful as if kept in 
the green-house, light^ air^ and judicious watering, are 
necessary. 

Plants in a room should be kept as near the glass as 
possible in the winter, and the pots kept clear of dead 
leaves, and be turned round once a week, at least, to pre- 
serve uniformity in appearance, or the plants will turn to 
the light, growing one-sided and unsightly in their appear- 
ance. Then, again, it will be important in mild weather 
to have the windows raised between 10 o'clock in the morn- 
ing and 3 in the afternoon, and plants should have the bene- 
fit of the morning sun if possible. If the plants by acci- 
dent get frosted, the sun should be excluded from them 
until it is entirely out of the plant. The frost will not 
injure some plants, while others would be entirely 
destroyed. In a room, where plants are kept in the 
winter, the air should never be below freezing point, 
(32® Fahrenheit's thermometer), and if possible not over 
45®. Uniformity in this particular is best, but is seldom 
attained in sitting rooms ; the difference being greater 
through the day than the night, which of itself is enough 
to injure their appearance. 

The watering of plants is seldom attended to properly. 
This is one of the most essential points in Floriculture. 
From November to March plants should be watered in the 
morning about 10 o'clock, and the water should be of a 



280 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

corresponding warmth with the room ; this can be easily 
effected by keeping the water pot filled, and letting it re- 
main twenty-four hours under the stand, before being used, 
or by using a small quantity of warm water to take the 
chill off To use water too freely, is as bad as none at all j 
for the roots of plants that elongate from the main body 
are so formed as to suck up water like a sponge ; and in 
cold weather the plant is unable to exercise its functions to 
elaborate a great quantity at the leaves ; it will when in 
a vigorous state. For this reason, the soil becomes sodded 
and sours ; the roots being overcharged the plants will 
sicken and die. There are some exceptions to this rule ; 
for the Camellia Japonica requires a good supply in the 
winter, to make their buds swell and expand ; so does the 
Chrysanthemum, in the early part of the winter. The 
practice of placing plants out of doors in the winter, when 
it rains, is a bad practice. To place the Cacti family out, 
or give them much water in the winter, is sure destruction. 
The amateur generally succeeds with this class of plants, 
and chiefly from neglect to water them, not by good man- 
agement in other respects. A little culture of the Cacti 
will generally correct all the evils attendant on them. No 
plant in cultivation requires more than that the soil be 
kept a little moist, unless plants are in a growing state. 
It will be plainly seen that plants, overwatered, put on a 
sickly hue, which is often mistaken by the novice for the 
want of it, and more is applied, which entirely destroys 
them. To obviate the evil in some measure, in potting 
plants in the spring or fall, give them a good drainage ; 
this is a term used among gardeners, and may not be fully 
understood by others. It is simply this : when you pot a 



(SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OP PARLOR PLANTS. 281 

plant, say one of five inches, place one inch of small pieces 
of brick or broken crocks at the bottom ; other sizes in 
proportion, whether larger or smaller. And if the plants 
be kept in a saucer to prevent the surplus virater from 
reaching the carpet, never let the water remain in it (ex- 
cept for swamp plants, Calla Ethiopica and the like), for 
when the pots have a good drainage, the water will pass 
freely through the soil into the saucer, washing the execre- 
mentitious substance from the plants into the saucer. Plants 
in the parlor will require less water in December and Jan- 
uary than at any other time, for during these months the 
major part of Flora's gems are in a state of rest. In the 
month of February nature begins to put forth the signs of 
coming spring ; our ideas are on the alert, and their antici- 
pations are like the buds of the late dormant plants, shoot- 
ing luxuriantly at the approach of returning spring ; then 
encouragement will be necessary. This must be attended 
to by giving your plants water moderately at first, to be 
increased as warm weather advances. Most plants require 
top dressing or potting. March is a month well calculated 
for the operation, while some are better for repotting in 
October. These months are suited for the generality 
of plants ; others through the summer. Experience will 
show their time. 

There are many annuals and biennials that make very 
agreeable parlor companions in the fall and spring, when 
in flower, for not all perennials are suitable for that pur- 
pose ; and there are many bulbous rooted plants worthy 
the attention of the amateur, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Crocuses, Jonquils, Tuberoses, Polyanthus Narcissus, Snow 
Drops (both spring and autumn), Ixias, Amaryllis, Irises 



282 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

(Persian), Gladiolus, and many others. Bulbs will do 
well in a room, and require but little care. The Amaryllis 
tribe, the Tuberose, and the Gladiolus are rather tender, 
and should be kept from the frost 

The following list of perennials may be considered good 
for parlor culture: — 



Azalia, 


Crape Myrtle, 


Chrysanthemum, 


Coffee Tree, 


Clematis, 


Camellia, 


Fuchsia, 


♦Geranium [free bloomer]. 


♦Heliotrope, 


Hydrangea, 


Jasmine, 


Lavender, 


Laurestinus, 


Lemon Tree, 


♦Lemon Scented Verbena, 


♦Passion Flower, 


Oleander, 


Orange Tree, 


Pomegranate, 


Rhododendron, 


Roses [in pots], 


Myrtle, 


Tea Tree, 


Wallflower, 


*Wax Plant. 




Those marked with the star 


(♦) are tender, and must be 


guarded against frost. The hybrid Geraniums are very 


difficult to keep; it will therefore be necessary not to 


rebuy such as you find difficult to keep. 


Soft wooded and fibrous rooted Biennials and Perennials : 


*Agapanthus, 


Auricula, 


Carnation, 


, Begonia, 


*Cacti, 


*Daisy, 


China Pink, 


♦Forget-me-not, 


♦Cineraria, 


♦Gloxinia, 


Campanula persicifolia, 


Japan Lily, 


Canterbury Bell, 


♦Lychnis Brungeana, 



SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF PARLOR PLANTS. 283 

*China Primrose, Martagon Lily, 

*Calla Elhiopica, *Nasturtium, 

*Oxalis, Petunia, ' 

Polyanthus, Pimpernel, 

Picotees, Pink, 

Primrose, Pansy, 

Ragged Robin, Verbena. 

(*) Will not stand much frost, and should be protected. 
Annuals to be sown in September, and brought into the 
house to flower during the winter, to accomplish which 
will require a warm situatioiL 

Brachycome iberidifolia, Maurandia Barclayana, 
Campanula, Mignonette, 

Dew Plant, Mimulus, 

Ice Plant, Musk Plant, 

Jacobea, Martynia fragrans, 

Nemophila, Phlox Drummondii, 

Portulaca, Schizanthus, 

Sensitive Plant. 



GROWING PLANTS PROM THE LEAF. 

This system of late appears to meet with much approval 
notwithstanding its tardy way of increasing the varieties of 
pot plants. When a seedling plant does really possess su- 
perior merit, and the increase desirable whether for sale or 
novelty it is well enough. There is certainly a kind of aris- 
tocratic feeling in the idea of having a plant raised from the 



284 A GUIDE TO PLORICULTURE. 

simple leaf, which in former days would appear incredible. 
The Gloxinia has long been propagated by that medium, 
but the organization of the midrib of the leaf is peculiar to 
its species, materially different from other plants, and if the 
leaves lie near the soil, bulbs will form on the under side, 
not so with other plants. To propagate by the leaf, it is 
immaterial whether Rose Pelargonium, or other plants, 
it is necessary to take the footstalk of the leaf close to the 
joint of the plant, for the all important material to form 
roots belongs to the joint, being more succulent than other 
parts, consequently the formation of those parts are more 
prone to form root fibres. The soil should be, if possible, 
leaf mould and sand, equal parts. The leaf stock after 
inserted and watered should be covered with a bell-glass, 
the same as cuttings, and as the roots elongates down, so 
will the embryo of the new plant appear above the soil, 
assimilating in appearance to seedlings, and will take about 
the same time to flower. It will be necessary to admit air 
as the plants increase in size. These phenomenas of nature 
and art generally create a pleasing effect on the mind of the 
young florist, as novelty is a solace always pleasing to the 
amateur, especially when cultivating on a new theory. 



PLORICULTURAL CALENDAR. 286 

THE FLOWER GARDEN, 

OR 

FLOBICUITUBAI CALANDAR FOR THE TEAR. 



JANUARY. 

At this dreary time of the year there ought not to be 
much to do ; all necessary precaution should have been 
taken for the protection of outstanding plants in the pre- 
vious months ; still, if not attended to as directed, let it be 
done without delay, or you may lose some valuable plants. 
Should the weather be mild and the ground not frozen, and 
you have any bulbous roots out of the ground, plant them 
without delay, to save them, but good flowers must not be 
expected from them. Still continue to manure such beds 
as need it, and turn them over on all favorable occasions. 
It will have a tendency to destroy cut worms. This being 
a leisure time, prepare sticks for carnations, and other 
flowers that will need support in the summer, and paint 
them green or slate color. You will find some advantage 
in attending to this if only for a pastime. 

THE PARLOR. 

Great caution will be required in watering plants 
during this month ; give water to none but those in a 



286 A GUIDE TO PLORICULTUEE. 

growing state ; and then in small quantities. It is better 
to give little and often, than lose your plants by flooding 
them ; and be particular when you do water them, that the 
chill is 0^ or you will soon perceive the evil tendency 
of such neglect. The Camellia is a plant that thrives 
best when its leaves are kept clean, and at this season it 
will require a good supply of water, or their flower buds 
will not swell and expand ; in washing their leaves never 
let the water touch the flower petals, or you will destroy 
their beauty. The room where you keep those beautiful 
flowering plants should be moderately heated ; and give 
them plenty of air whenever you can do it with safety. 
The Camellia is by no means tender, but will bear con- 
siderable frost, without injuring the plant ; but it is best 
kept in a room never below the freezing point ; when once 
understood, it is one of the easiest plants to manage we have 
in parlor culture. 

Chinese Primroses should be shifted into a pot one size 
larger the last of this month, and be abundantly supplied 
with water; their flowers will then expand to perfection. 
Azalias should be kept near the window, to induce them 
to grow ; water them sparingly at first. Hyacinths, and 
all bulbs in glasses, need attention ; guard them against 
frost, and change the water often ; those in pots will require 
plenty of water, and must be kept in the window to receive 
the warmth of the sun, and be removed at night. The 
Cacti are now in a state of rest, and must be kept moder- 
ately dry. Geraniums, the last of this month, will need 
repotting, and should be watered sparingly. Keep your 
pots and plants clean, and free of dead leaves, to preserve 
neatness and make your plants healthy; 



PEBECART, 287 



FEBRUARY 



Much of the labor of this month will depend greatly on 
the weather ; if cold or wet little can be done, with the 
exception of transplanting ornamental trees and shrubs, 
such as Roses, Syringas, Persian, and other Lilacs, Paeo- 
neas, Arbor Vitaes, &.c. This should be attended to so soon 
as the frost is out of the ground, and their respiratory organs 
begin to put out. In transplanting Roses it is necessary to cM. 
them down to within one foot of the ground, as in remov- 
ing them many of the spongioles of the root are destroyed 
(an unavoidable occurrence) ; deprived of this essential to 
maintain the whole wood after removal, they lose the prin- 
ciple of life, and in most cases, by not attending to the prun- 
ing, the tree lingers, and finally dies. When pruned as 
directed, there is less sap to be supplied, and as the leaves 
and root depend on each other for support, there is enough 
left to equalize each other, and on their being re-established 
the growth is abundant and healthy. 

In removing evergreen trees, the Arbor Vitas, for instance, 
their roots do not diverge far from the main body ; being 
more compact, the main body of the roots can be removed 
without causing much injury; but if disturbed as much as 
deciduous shrubs, in their removal, nothing will restore 
them to their former vigor and beauty. This is one cause 
of so much failure in trees purchased in the markets, 
brought from the mountainous regions. By paying a trifle 
more, better trees could be purchased of nurserymen, with 
a warranty. 



288 A GUrOE TO FLORICULTURE, 

In the latter part of this month commence transplanting 
biennial and perennial flowering plants, to where they are 
intended to flower. If those plants have been kept in the 
house through the winter, it will be necessary to have large 
flower pots handy to cover them at night, until hardened 
to withstand the spring frost. In the last of this month, 
should the weather be fine, give Carnations, Picotees, and 
Pinks in pots a gentle watering. Auriculas, Polyanthuses, 
and Primulas, should be top dressed, and watered occa- 
sionally, to encourage their growth. Seeds of choice Pan- 
sies, Auriculas, Polyanthuses, Mignonette, Martynia fra- 
grans, and other parlor plants, may be sown in boxes or 
flower pots, be covered with glass, and placed so that they 
will receive the morning sun. Those desirous of still more 
early flowers should prepare a hot bed of stable manure to 
start them in ; and when the plants are large enough they 
should be potted into thumb pots, and returned to the hot 
bed, until the roots are re-established. Roses not trimmed 
last fall should be attended to without delay. Beds may 
be prepared for Ranunculuses and Anemones as soon as the 
ground can be turned up without adhering to the spade. 

THE PARLOR. 

Should the weather be warm shift the following plants 
into a pot, one size larger than they have been kept 
in through the winter: — -Wallflowers, Martynia fra- 
grans. Geraniums, Roses, Verbenas, Heliotropes, Fuch- 
sias, Calceolarias, Stock Gillyflowers, and many others not 
named. Chinese Primroses may be placed in a saucer the 
last of this month, during their flowering season, and will 



FEBRUARY. 289 

do well, also, the Calla Ethiopica, and be watered regular- 
ly. The Camellia should be watered abundantly, as their 
flowers will now be expanding in all their beauty. Achi- 
menes of all kinds should be potted, and be placed in a hot 
bed, and be kept moi'st. Hyacinths, in glasses, will now 
begin to show their flower buds ; when the scape becomes 
tall they may require support, which should be done with 
wire fastened to the glass. Tulips, and other bulbs in pots, 
must be watered freely, as their flowering stems advance. 

All plants in pots will begin to grow ; give little water 
and plenty of air, and keep them clear of leaves. In giving 
your plants air let them be well guarded against frost. 
Azalias should be watered more freely than last month, 
and still be kept near the glass ; when their flowers expand 
be liberal with water, or the flowers will soon fade and fall 
off! Gladiolus floribundus and cardinalis, also Sprekelia 
Formosissima, formerly Amaryllis formosissima, may be 
potted to flower early : be careful in watering them, until 
you perceive them growing. By the last of this month 
the Cactus tribe will require a little encouragement. 



MARCH. 

With this month commences the spring, and the business 
of this department will accumulate as the warm weather 
approaches, and on the industry of the amateur will depend 
their appearance for the coming season. Commence re- 
moving the protection from the Tulip and Hyacinth beds ; 
25 



290 A GUIDE TO FLOmCULTURE. 

this should not be done too suddenly, as we have generally 
some cold weather in this month ; therefore the weather 
must be your criterion to go by. The protection round 
jT-our tender Roses may also be removed by degrees. 
Choice seeds may be sown for early flowers ; this should 
be effected with the assistance of bottom heat, or they may 
be sown in drills, in a box, each variety to be labelled and 
covered with a pane of glass* There are two advantages 
attending the seeds sown this way ; the first is, the glass 
will cause more heat than if sown in the open ground, and 
the next is, when the seeds are up and in the seed leaf (the 
time most likely to be injured by the frost), the glass is 
some protection, and if very severe weather ensues, the box 
can be removed into the house. Again, if the seed be 
sown in the open ground, the soil at this season should not 
be dug more than half spade deep, as the soil is too cold 
and w^ould rot them. Experience will teach that when 
seed intended to be sown thus early, the soil should be stir- 
red only with a rake ; much benefit will result, for that 
only which has received the influence of the sun will be 
found congenial to the germination of seeds. 

Hardy Roses may now be propagated by grafting the 
more choice kind on the roots of the common kinds. Car- 
nations, Picotees, and Pinks, should not be removed from 
their winter quarters before the grass on the commons and 
fields begins to grow, fo-r the sharp cutting winds this month 
are dangerous to those flowers. When you perceive the 
weather settled, about the last of the month, those intended 
to flower in pots should be shifted into a five inch pot, and 
be top dressed ; expose them to gentle showers to encourage 
their growth. 



MARCH. 291 

Ornamental trees and deciduous shrubs may still be 
removed, the sooner the better, as well as biennial and 
perennial flowering plants. Borders and edges may now 
be made of Privet, Box, and of the Pheasant Eyed Pink, 
and turf laid. Box may now be slipped and will root 
readily, which should be planted by itself the first season. 
Rake your beds, destroy dead leaves, and clear the paths 
from rubbish, and make improvements that will be bene- 
ficial as well as ornamental in the flower garden. Unpack 
your Dahlias, and give them air to prevent their rotting. 

THE PARLOR. 

Plants of all descriptions should be repotted without de- 
lay, if not done last month. This month is one of the best 
in the year for general potting, and when it was neglected 
last fall it should be attended to now. Roses, when re- 
potted, should be trimmed, and, if necessary, the parts 
trimmed off* may be converted into cuttings to increase the 
stock. Hyacinths in glasses will now be in flower, and 
should be kept from the sun to preserve their beauty. Ca- 
mellias will now be in their flowering season, and should 
be abundantly supplied with water ; and their leaves must 
be kept clean, and when done flowering they should be 
repotted, and inarched, if a stock of good ones is desired. 
This should be done be&re the plants make their young 
wood. 

It will be necessary to keep your plants out of reach of 
cutting winds, so prevalent this month, also from the frost, 
or they will be greatly injured. Mignonette, Petunia, Por- 
lulacca, Nemophilla insignis, Verbena, and other choice 



292 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

seeds may be sown in boxes, to decorate the windows ; 
they should be transplanted into five inch pots when of 
sufiicient size for that purpose. Orange and Lemon Trees 
should have their roots examined ; if found to be mouldy 
that part should be cut offj and then repot them again. 
Geraniums should be examined, as the frost or damp air 
will affect their leaves ; such as you find injured should be 
taken off; give them a top dressing to encourage their 
growth, and give all plants plenty of air whenever the 
weather will admit. 



APEII 



This will be a busy month, for much has to be done, 
and on the operation of the flower garden this month will 
depend much the appearance for the whole summer. In the 
first place, rake the ground where you intend to sow 
flower seeds ; it is not advisable to dig the ground for that 
purpose, as it is yet too cold to receive seed; that part 
which can be turned over with the rake has received the 
warmth of the sun, and is consequently more congenial for 
their reception. To give a catalogue of such seeds as I 
think most suitable for the flower garden is foreign to the 
object in view, as what one person would think ornamental 
another might not; therefore, persons in their selections 
must be governed by their own taste. There are no flow- 
ers but what some one will admire. All flowers possess 
beauty, but we do not all appreciate it. Carnations, Pico- 



APRIL. 293 

tees, and Pinks intended to flower in the open ground, 
should be set out without delay, and those intended to 
flower in pots should be shifted into five inch ones, and be 
encouraged in their growth ; it would be a good plan to sink 
the pots into the open ground until the flowers are ready- 
to expand, then remove them to a shady situation. Finish 
dividing and planting perennial Sunflowers, Double Sweet 
Williams, Scarlet Lychnis, Double Fever Few, and all 
fibrous rooted plants that will bear dividing, as they will 
root freely. By the last of this month dig up your garden 
and (if the weather is warm) plant Gladiolus, Tuberose, 
Tigridia pavonia, Conchiflora, and such Amaryillisses as 
bloom in the summer. 

' Persons wishing to have early Dahlias should place 
the roots in a half spent hot bed, but it would be best not 
to sprout them before next month, if you wish good flow- 
ers. In the last of the month begin to sow biennial and 
perennial flowering seeds. Hyacinths and Tulips in the 
open ground will be advancing rapidly towards blooming ; 
should any require a stick to support them let it be done 
neatly, and loosen the soil between the rows ; it will benefit 
them much. Turf for lawns or plats in front situations 
may be laid to advantage, and shade trees may still be 
planted out, but not later than the first week in the month. 
Arbor Vitse, White Pines, and Cedars, and the like, for 
ornamenting the garden, may be planted all this month. 
Seeds sown last month should be attended to, as the frost is 
apt to kill them in the seed leaf In the last of this month 
take cuttings of Chrysanthemums, place them under glass, 
and in four weeks they will be well rooted. 



294 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

THE PARLOR, 

Give your plants plenty of air, and begin to water them 
more freely. Tender Roses may be planted out, and also 
be propagated by cuttings. Orange and Lemon Trees that 
require removing into larger pots or tubs, should have it 
done. Pomegranate, Crape Myrtle, and Jasmines, should 
be either repotted or planted into the open ground. Azalia? 
and Rhododendrons will require plenty of water, or their 
flovrers will drop. Camellias will still be in bloom ; follow 
the direction given last month. Calceolarias, Cinerarias, 
Auriculas, and Polyanthuses will now begin to flower, and 
should be placed in the shade. Slips should be taken from 
the Auricula while in flower, as each color or variety can 
then be mor^ readily marked, and the slips will root quick. 
Chinese Primroses, as they go out of flower,, should be 
divided by parting the root ; each star will make a root by 
placing them in the shade, and watering them regularly. 
Geraniums will soon be in flower, and will require atten- 
tion to make them flower well ; slips, taken off" at any time 
after the middle of the month, will make good plants for 
next season. Seeds sown last month, for parlor culture, 
will be large enough some time this month to transplant 
into four inch pots ; give them rich soil ; use no saucers 
for them, as they are required for swamp plants only. 



MAT. 295 



MAY, 



This is another busy month in this department, and the 
earliest attention must be directed to finish sowing all kinds 
of seeds ; transplant those sown in March and April. — 
Seedling plants, when of sufficient size, should be trans- 
planted to where they are intended to flower, and great 
care should be taken to remove them with as much dirt as 
will hang to the roots. This rule does not apply to the 
Pansy, for if grown large it will be necessary to wash 
the dirt from their roots, or the plants will not survive the 
summer. 

Tender Roses should be planted into the open ground, 
and they will flower more freely all summer, and need no 
trouble the remainder of the season ; they will make large 
plants by the fall. Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks, now 
spindling up to flower, should have sticks, and be tied as 
they grow, to prevent the misfortune often attending them 
by being broken off by rough winds, or by accident. 
Hyacinths, when done flowering, and as soon as their 
leaves die down, should be taken up ; also, Crown Impe- 
rials and Crocuses. The best time to take up Tulips is 
about five weeks after flowering ; but much depends upon 
the weather. Above all things, never take up bulbous 
roots, if possible, in damp or rainy weather ; the ground 
ought to be dry, or the sudden transition may destroy 
them. It will be found best to take up bulbous roots 
every season, which prevents the ground from deteriorating 
by the excrementitious discharge from the bulbs into the 



295 A GinDE TO FLORICULTUHE. 

soil. It is so with the agriculturist ; a farmer finds it ne- 
cessary to change his crops. Were the system adhered to, 
of sowing the same field with any particular kind of grain 
for several years, it would hecome sterile, and fit for 
nothing. 

Wallflowers may he increased, in moist weather, hy 
taking slips of the young shoots and planting them in the 
shade, and watering them regularly in dry weather ; in six 
weeks, if properly attended to, they will be fit to pot ofij 
or they may remain in the ground until fall, if your object 
be large plants, which is desirable. No Wallflower is 
worth growing from slips but the Double and Semi- 
Double ; the latter is preferable. Cape Bulbs, of any 
kind that will flower in the summer, should be planted 
without dela}^ Chrysanthemums may still be propagated 
by cuttings. Hoe, rake, and keep the beds clear of weeds, 
for nothing attracts the attention of strangers so much as a 
well regulated flower garden, free of weeds. 

China Pinks should be planted alongside the Double 
Sweet William ; by this means the two will cross with- 
out artificial fecundation, and produce a beautiful hybrid 
plant, ornamental as well as desirable in the flower gar- 
den. 

Those whose taste leads to the improvement of flowers 
by hybridizing, should now begin, as the field opens for 
their industry. This art has done much for the florist ; as 
a proof of which we need only point out the perfection of 
the Rose. There are other plants equally as susceptible of 
improvement. The industrious bee w-as the first to en- 
lighten us on this subject, as it carried the pollen from 
flower to flow^er, effecting what man little dreamed of To 



MAY. 297 

carry out this system, it would be necessary, the first thing 
in the morning, to take a camel's hair pencil and remove 
the pollen from the anthers of one flower, and place it on 
the summit of the pistil of a different plant, whose anthers 
were previously cut out very early in the morning, before 
that flower had shed its pollen. However simple this may 
appear, still there is great nicety required in the operation ; 
and if the object has been attained, the flower impregnated 
will fade in twenty-four hours ; if you discern no percepti- 
ble difference in the appearance of the flower, try another, 
and you may meet with better success. With flowers that 
do not seed freely, for instance the Chrysanthemum, Car- 
nation, &c., it will be a waste of time to try experiments of 
this kind. 

THE PARLOR. 

Auriculas past flowering should be watered regularly in 
dry weather, and be placed where the sun does not shine 
after nine in the morning; remove all dead leaves as they 
appear, and keep the pots clear of weeds. This is a good 
time to detach offsets from the parent plant ; pot and keep 
them in the shade until rooted, and then treat them the 
same as full grown plants. Polyanthuses may be treated 
the same as Auriculas. The Polyanthus is subject to the 
attacks of the red spider. The leaves should be watered 
frequently all over. 

The Camellia will now be out of flower, and may be 
placed in a shady situation for the summer, and syringed 
often, to keep their leaves clean, and to keep the red spider 
off, f>.^ «^hich will be necessary, if you want a profusion of 



298 A GUIDE TO PLORICrLTURE. 

flowers next season. This magnificent plant will not 
thrive without the leaves are kept clean, and have a good 
drainage, which should be attended to when repotting. 
Geraniums will grow from slips, also Verbenas and Helio- 
tropes ; the two latter may be planted in the open ground, 
where they will make a showy appearance through the 
summer. Oxales, when done flowering, should be removed 
into the shade, and be watered sparingly until in a state of 
rest, when no more should be given. Plants of all de- 
scriptions (Cacti excepted) may be removed the last of this 
month into the garden where a shady situation is prefer- 
able for most pot plants ; they must be watered daily. 



JUNE. 

Some activity will be necessary in this department the 
whole of this month. The attention of the amateur will 
be required, first to the Carnations, Picotees, and choice 
Pinks in tieing them up ; and as their flowers will begin 
to expand this month, if you discover any inclined to burst 
on one side, take a sharp pointed knife and make an in- 
cision on the opposite side of the calyx, for the. weather 
will sometimes cause that defect, and if precautionary 
means be not taken the petals will fall out, and destroy the 
symmetry of the flower. The majority of prize flowers of 
this family of plants are constitutionally defective in that 
particular. When such is the case, take a fine piece of 
Russia matting, or a pie<:e of bladder, and tie around the 



JTJNE. 299 

calyx about midway, previously clipping it into water to 
make it pliable. As these flowers begin to decay com- 
mence piping and layering them. This part of increasing 
your stock will occupy from June to September, as some 
plants are much earlier than others. 

All danger of frost being now over begin to plant out 
Dahlias without delay, and drive a stake to each for sup- 
port, as they progress in height. 

Finish transplanting all annual flowering plants, such 
as China Asters, Balsams, Cockscombs, China Pinks, 
Marigolds, &c. Biennials and perennials can be trans- 
planted at leisure. Take up fall flowering bulbs, sepa- 
rate the offsets, and transplant them into another part of 
the garden. 

Take up all bulbous roots that have done fl.owering, 
whose foliage has died down, and place them in a shaded 
situation, where there is a free circulation of air, to dry, 
and no rain can reach them. 

The Ranunculus may be removed about four weeks 
after flowering, and dried and packed in sand. Anemones 
should be thus treated about the same time, or they will 
strike fresh root fibres ; being more succulent than the 
Ranunculus, they will continue growing much longer, 
which should not be allowed. A discrimination is to be 
observed in their management that requires experience to 
surmount. 

The following perennials may now be increased by cut- 
tings, before their flowers expand : — Phlox, in all its varie- 
ties, Double Scarlet Lychnis, Lobelia cardinalis, Ragged 
Robin, by division of the roots, suckers of the Double 



300 A GUIDE TO rLORICULTURE. 

Sweet Williams should be laid down, and covered with the 
soil ; they will root freely. 

Hardy Roses should be layered without delay; they 
will make good roots by the fall. Roses should be layered 
in much the same manner as the Carnation, cut in at the 
joint, and slit half way up to the next joint. Be particular 
that the slit does not close, which can be prevented by 
placing a little moss between ; your plants will make good 
roots by November. Chrysanthemums should be divided 
at the roots, placing one slip only in a five inch pot, and 
top them. 

In moist weather trim Box to make it uniform and neat. 
Mow grass plats in front of houses, for if allowed to grow 
tall it destroys the beautiful effect so desirable in its appear- 
ance. Destroy insects on plants whenever they appear. 
Lay tanner's bark or gravel in the walks, and keep 
every part free of weeds, and attend to other little mat- 
ters necessary for effect. 

THE PARLOR 

Plants of all descriptions should be placed in the shady 
side of the garden, but avoid the drips of trees, and water 
them every evening. Verbenas and Petunias will grow 
freely from cuttings, and may be planted into the open 
ground when rooted ; they will make a splendid appear- 
ance through the summer, when planted in a bed by them- 
selves ;Hhe situation should be open and airy, to ensure a 
fine bloom. Orange and Lemon Trees should be removed 
out into the open air, and be watered regularly, to insure a 
good supply of fruit. . 



JUNE. 301 

Succulent plants may now be propagated, particularly 
the Cacti family. In propagating the Cactus by cuttings, 
avoid watering them until their roots are formed ; even 
then it must be used sparingly. It is a matter of doubt 
whether this family of plants should be placed out of doors 
in the summer. The safest plan will be to keep them in 
the house, as there are seasons when water is destructive to 
them ; heavy rains must, therefore, be injurious. It will 
be as well through the summer to lay them on their sides 
and wash them to keep off the red spider. 

June is a good time to graft the Cactus. Geraniums 
may be propagated by cuttings as well as the Heliotrope. 
Camellias must be syringed every night, to keep their 
leaves clean, as the dust will accumulate on them in dry 
weather ; water them every night, as their flower buds will 
now begin to form. Tender Roses may be increased by 
cuttings from the young wood, when a little hardened; 
they will make strong plants by the fall. 

This month is the best in the whole year for propagat- 
ing Roses ; it is therefore advisable for those wishing to 
increase their stock, to embrace it. Rose cuttings put down 
in April will be fit to pot off the last of the month. Ex- 
otic plants, of different kinds, may be increased either by 
cuttings or layering. Auriculas and Polyanthuses must be 
removed to a shady situation, and will require strict atten- 
tion through the summer. Keep your pot plants clear of 
dead leaves and weeds. Cinerarias that are done flower- 
ing may be planted into the open ground in the shade, 
until September, the best time to take slips for spring 
plants. 



302 A GUIDE TO FLORICXTLTURE. 



JULY. 



Any labor omitted last month should now he attended 
to without delay. Biennials and perennials should be 
planted out in damp weather, about six inches apart, to 
g?iin strength. Dahlias should be tied up securely, to pre- 
vent the wind and rain from breaking them down. Cut- 
tings of Dahlias may be taken and will root freely in the 
shade, and should be kept in four inch pots. Plants thus 
struck and kept in pots will do better to propagate from 
next season ; large plants in the open ground will not 
flower well the second season as they are apt to be ex- 
hausted, which is not the case with pot plants. 

It would improve Dahlias much to place manure around 
the roots, to keep them moist in dry weather ; syringe 
them occasionally to keep off the red spider. 

Carnations, Picotees, and choice Pinks, -should be 
layered without delay, if strong plants are wanted in the 
fall ; twenty-four hours prior to which, water your plants 
freely, to make them bend with greater facility, or the 
greater portion will snap off, being rather brittle. 

The easiest way to propagate Pinks is by piping, they 
being more susceptible of making root by this process, 
than the Carnation. In layering Carnations, sometimes 
the part intended to be layered will snap off notwithstand- 
ing all the precaution you may use ; should the plant be 
valuable, then pipe them as I shall point out for Pinks. 
In the first place get some garden soil, and make it light 
by mixing plenty of sand and rotten leaves, that will pass 



JULY. 303 

through a wire seive. Put this composition into a ten 
inch seed pan, and level the top and water it well ; then 
take your Pinks intended for cuttings and cut them off at 
the third joint with a sharp knife ; he careful and not 
hruise themj; also, cut off the ends of the leaves or grass, as 
the gardeners term them. Having prepared as many as 
you wish, place them in a hasin of cold water for about 
ten minutes, to make them stiff and enter the soil with 
more ease ; this done, take a hell glass and press on the 
soil to make ^. mark, the hetter to guide you to insert your 
pipings; keep them within the space designed to receive 
them ; then stick them into the soil to the first joint, about 
half an inch apart, each way ; water them gently to settle 
the soil around the plants; and when the grass is suf- 
ficiently dry put on the glass to exclude the air, and place 
them in the shade. At the expiration of two weeks take 
off the glass, and water them ; be careful and not cover 
them until the grass is dry, or your pipings will damp off 
and your labor be lost. When you perceive they begin 
to grow give a little air by degrees. You will find some 
more backward than others in growing, which will require 
some precaution in admitting air too freely. In about six 
weeks, if your plants have been well attended to, they will 
have formed sufficient root to be transplanted into the open 
ground. It is said that pipings make the best and most 
hardy plants. Pinks will grow readily from slips, and 
make large plants in less time than pipings, which is a 
desirable object. It will frequently happen that layers are 
destroyed by heavy and continuous rains ; therefore all the 
layers should not be layered at once, to guard against such 
a circumstance. 



304 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Now begin to bud choice Roses on the Boursalt and 
Maiden's Blush ; the former is the best, as the Blush will 
be always throwing out suckers. The bark should be pre- 
viously examined, for unless it parts freely it will be use- 
less to bud or inoculate them. 

Spring flowering bulbs, if any remain in the ground, 
should be taken up without delay ; if allowed to strike 
fresh root it will be too late to remove them without sus- 
taining much injury. 

White Lilies may be taken up and removed by the last 
of this month, without injuring them, but should not be 
kept out of the ground over six weeks. 

In dry weather water China Asters and Balsams freely, 
if you wish them to flower well. Chrysanthemums 
should be topped this month, to make them throw out 
lateral shoots, and those wishing dwarf plants can layer 
them ; water freely and they will soon form good roots. 

THE PARLOR. 

Camellias must be attended to with the strictest attention 
during this month, as the quantity of their flowers will de- 
pend on this. Those wishing a good show of flowers 
ought to assist nature in her work. Fuchsias should now 
be shifted into a pot one size larger, and be watered freely. 
Geraniums should be cut down and repotted, and the tops 
converted into cuttings for new flowering plants. Cactuses 
should be repotted. Verbenas will need a pot one size 
larger. Orange and Lemon Trees should be budded, and 
water administered freely to all pot plants. 



AUGUST. 305 



AUGUST. 

The labor of transplanting annuals, biennials, and peren- 
nials must now necessarily be over for the season ; and 
attention should be directed to their improvement, in 
making them appear neat by tying stakes and trellises 
for their tender branches to support themselves on, and cut 
off unsightly branches whenever you discover them. — 
Dahlias should be trimmed as often as necessary ; tie them 
up neatly to their stakes to protect them from heavy rains 
and winds ; if the weather should be dry water them at 
the roots, and syringe their foliage all over occasionally; 
this will destroy the red spider and keep your plants in a 
healthy state. If you find small insects infesting your 
plants you must endeavor to destroy them ; to accomplish 
this object it should be done in the morning, while the 
dew is on the plant, as they are less active then than at 
other times. It will be necessary sometimes, in the early 
season, to cut your plants nearly to the ground, as they 
are apt to eat out the bud and stunt the plants ; but when 
the plant is full of vigor they will outgrow the damage 
done by these troublesome insects. 

Be particular and never allow weeds to go to seed this 
month ; it will save you much future trouble. Carnations, 
Picotees, and Pinks may still be layered, where it was not 
attended to last month ; those already rooted may be sepa- 
rated from the parent plant and set out into the open 
ground until October to gain strength. Carnation and 
Pink pipings will require strict attention in dry weather. 

26 



306 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

and must be kept damp. Collect seeds, when the weather 
is fine, from different plants as soon as ripe ; cut down old 
flowering stems of plants that are unsightly. 

Chrysanthemums should be topped without delay, if not 
already done, and plants layered last month should be 
watered every night, as well as those in pots. 

Seeds of Pansies should be sown, to make large plants 
for the spring, and choice varieties may be increased by 
cuttings. 

Roses may be increased by budding so long as the bark 
parts freely. 

By the last of this month begin to increase double 
flowering fibrous rooted perennials, that have done flower* 
ing, such as the Scarlet Lychnis, Daisies, Polyanthuses, 
Auriculas, and Sweet Williams, also Pansies, and different 
kinds of Campanulas, Rose Campions, &c. In dividing 
these roots let it be performed in damp weather, and always 
place them in the shade ; your plants will then make good 
roots in a short time. Seedling Auriculas and Polyan- 
thuses should be potted off into three inch pots ; they will 
flower in the spring. In dry weather it will be necessary 
to water your flower beds. This will only apply to small 
gardens within the city, for plants in the country will grow- 
well enough without, being invigorated by a free circula- 
tion of air, a great desideratum, and not to be obtained 
within the precincts of the city ; artificial means must 
therefore be resorted to, to counterbalance such defi- 
ciencies. 



AUGUST. 307 

THE PARLOR. 

Camellias by this time have formed their flower buds 
fully, and will now commence growing ; they may be in- 
creased from cuttings (single only), or by grafting. Much 
care should be taken in propagating this species of mag- 
nificent plants by keeping the cuttings and grafted plants 
in one uniform heat, if you wish to succeed. Calla Ethio- 
pica should be divided at the roots, and be repotted. — 
Orange and Lemon Trees may still be budded, if not 
done before, with a prospect of success. There are many 
seeds that may be sown for this department, which v*rill 
flower at different periods through the winter, such as 
Nemophilla, Mignonette, Schizanthus, Mimulas, &c. 

Geraniums may still be increased by cuttings. Rose 
cuttings put down in May will now be fit to pot off All 
plants in pots must be liberally supplied with water during 
this month, to keep them in health. 



SEPTEMBER 



With this month commences the first indication of the 
appearance of winter, which is exemplified in the irregu- 
larity in plants. Having wholly performed the functions 
of life which nature and art bestowed on them, they will 
begin to decay. After their seeds are collected cut their 
stems off, if perennials ; biennials and annuals should be 
pulled up and thrown away to preserve a neat appearance. 



308 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

Carnations, Picotees, and choice Pinks, may still be layer- 
ed, until the middle of the month, but not after, as the 
season will be too far advanced to enable them to make 
good roots before the frost sets in. Those layered last 
month, and well rooted, should be separated from the 
parent plant. Dahlias will now be luxuriating in their 
greatest beauty, and should be tied up to prevent their 
fragile branches from breaking off by the effects of wind 
or rain. Chinese Chrysanthemums will need much at- 
tention at this time ; they must be regularly watered, and 
those in the ground, when their flower buds are well 
formed, should be lifted in rainy weather, and those layer- 
ed to make dwarf plants should also be potted. Com- 
mence preparing your beds for the reception of bulbous 
roots, for beds should be prepared at least two weeks before 
being planted, to allow the ground to settle. 

Tender bulbs in the ground, such as the Gladiolus, 
Amaryllis, Tuberose, Pavonia, &c., should be taken up on 
the first appearance of frost. By the last of the month 
commence removing hardy biennials and perennials to 
where they are intended to flower the coming spring. 

Divide perennials, such as the Double Sweet William, 
Scarlet Lychnis, Foxglove, «&c., so that the plants may 
gain strength before the winter sets in. Many annuals 
will withstand the winter, if their seeds be sown this 
month, such as the Rocket Larkspur, Flos Adonis, Catch- 
fly, Candytuft, &c., and many others may be sown and 
potted ofl" next month, and protected ; for any annual that 
can be preserved through the winter will flower earlier, be 
much larger, and will produce better seed for another 
season. 



i 



SEPTEMBER: 309 

THE PARLOR. 

Tender Roses should be potted, if in the open ground; 
let it be done in moist weather, and they will recover and 
flower again in November. Geranium cuttings should be 
potted, giving them a good drainage. Lemons, Oranges, 
and Myrtles should be housed the latter part of this month, 
previous to which either top dress the plants, or shift them 
into a tub or pot one size larger. The seeds of Mignio- 
nette, and other plants wanted to flower early in the house, 
may still be sown. Verbenas, Heliotropes, and other 
choice plants that are tender, may be potted. Plants that 
are succulent prefer a light dry soil, or their humidity will 
cause them to rot ; but shrubby plants will require a strong 
soil, if convenient a maiden soil with manure ; and, if 
necessary, a small portion of sand to prevent its binding. 
Be sure and give all plants good drainage. It often hap- 
pens that at the last of this month we are visited by a 
heavy frost ; it will therefore be important to have all 
tender plants ready to be removed, to prevent injury. 

In the middle of the month remove Camellias into 
their winter quarters, prior to which wash every leaf 
clean, as this magnificent plant will not thrive unless 
kept clean, and give them all the air possible, or the 
transition will cause their flower buds to drop, which 
should be avoided. 

In lifting Oleanders that were placed into the open 
ground in the spring, great care should be taken not to 
injure the small and tender root fibres, or their heads will 
droop and not rise again, much to their injury in appear- 



310 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

ance. The Auricula and Polyanthus may be divided and 
potted off, and placed in winter quarters. 



OCTOBER. 



The last of this month commences the busy time in the 
flower garden, and it will be time to provide a suitable 
place for such plants as require some protection. Beds 
should now be prepared for Tulips, Hyacinths, and other 
hardy bulbs that flower in the spring. Hyacinths, Tulips^ 
Jonquils, and other bulbs intended to flower in the house, 
should be potted, and then sunk into the ground until 
December ; by that time they will have formed good roots, 
and may then be brought into the house to flower. It is 
time now to finish dividing perennial rooted plants that 
were omitted last month. The Perennial Sunflower, if not 
divided and removed every season, will return to its pris- 
tine state, and lose its interesting beauty; also divide the 
Double Feverfew, Scarlet Lychnis, Sweet William, Phlox, 
and all fibrous rooted plants that require protection. Pan- 
sies may be divided and potted, being careful that every 
slip be furnished with roots. Transplant seedling Canter- 
bury Bells, Foxgloves, Rose Campions, Wallflowers, and 
Bfompton Stocks should be potted off into five inch pots, 
and be protected through the winter. Chinese Chrysan- 
themums in the ground should be potted in moist weather, 
before the frost takes them, or the beauty of their flowers 
will be injured. 



OCTOBER. 311 

Pot off Carnations, Picotees, and the finest Pinks, and 
place them where the frost, snow, or rain will not injure 
them during the winter. Roses, Arbor Vitses, and most 
deciduous trees and shrubs can be removed without dan- 
ger after the 25th of this month. 

Labels should now be prepared for Dahlias, and secure- 
ly fixed to every one as you take them up, to prevent any 
mistake. Take up tender bulbs on the first appearance of 
frost, and place them in an airy room to dry. Remove all 
decayed flower stems, and keep your beds as neat as pos- 
sible ; dead leaves should be kept by themselves, to be 
converted into manure for pot plants. Whatever was re- 
commended last month is also applicable to this ; for some- 
times the season is much later one year than another, and 
the whole management must be regulated accordingly. 

It would not be amiss to get a load of maiden soil, and 
mix a small portion of old manure with it, to stand all the 
winter exposed to the weather, turning it over occasionally 
to mellow. It is excellent for potting off plants in the 
spring, and much advantage would be gained in making 
your plants grow more freely and luxuriantly. 

THE PARLOR. 

In housing Camellias, great care should be taken to 
regulate the heat of the room ; for too much dry heat will 
cause the flower buds to blast. Where the atmosphere is 
arid it will be found impossible for those plants to succeed. 
As the Camellia is rather hardy, and will bear considerable 
frost, a room that is kept a little above the freezing point 
will be found most congenial. Much uniformity is re- 



312 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

quired; a room, therefore, that is kept very warm in the 
day time, and the frost allowed to penetrate at night, creates 
too great a change for any variety of plants. If uniformity 
cannot be obtained keep them in the coldest part of the 
room, as the change would not be felt so much. A pit 
made about six feet deep, covered with glass, is preferable 
to the green-house for the Camellia, and when the plants 
are ready to expand they can be removed to the parlor, to 
perfect their flowers. 

Geranium cuttings should be potted oif, and moderately 
watered ; Rose cuttings put down in June will be fit to pot 
off Canterbury Bells and Foxgloves intended for early 
flowering should be potted for that service. Oranges, Le- 
mons, Oleanders, and similar shrubs and trees should be 
placed out of reach of frost. Hydrangeas, Fuchsias, Glox- 
inias, and other tender deciduous plants, should be 
watered sparingly, as their time of rest is drawing nigh. 
Auriculas, Polyanthuses, and all other Primulas should be 
removed into the house. In mild weather give all plants 
just removed into the house all the air possible, which will 
cause them to feel the change lightly ; but guard against 
frost. 



NOYEMBER. 

The busy time is not yet over ; much has to be done, 
more especially if planting and transplanting were omitted 



NOVEMBER. 313 

last month. Dahlias in the ground should be taken up 
without delay, or there will be danger of losing them by 
frost. Your attention should now be directed to plant- 
ing Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocuses, Crown Imperials, and 
other bulbous rooted plants. As a general rule, about the 
middle of this month is the best time for planting bulbs that 
flower in the spring, though it will do as late as Christmas 
in mild weather. But this season of the year being liable 
to change it will be best to plant when the ground is in a 
fit state. It frequently occurs that bulbs are brought to 
cities by Germans and Frenchmen, and sold at a low price 
when the proper season for planting is over ; however cheap 
those bulbs may appear still they are dear at any price. 
Bulbs should be planted when you discover in them a pro- 
pensity to grow, for being kept out of the ground after that 
time debilitates them, and they are soon worthless. These 
remarks will also apply to those sold at seed stores. It will 
be found better to give a fair price for bulbs at this time, 
than to buy them at a low price at Christmas, or after. I 
wish to make another remark, that is. these annual vendors 
of Harlem bulbs, generally bring nothing but the refuse of 
that market, for good bulbs will always bring a better price 
than they can sell them at ; but when you purchase at a 
respectable seed store you may naturally expect good bulbs, 
if purchased in time, as there is a reputation at stake, 
whereas these exotic vendors have nothing to part with but 
their bulbs. 

Chinese Everblooming, and other pot Roses intended to 

remain in the ground through the winter, should have old 

manure laid over their roots, and the bush tied up, enveloped 

in straw, or be covered with a box. This protection will 

27 



314 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

save much trouble in keeping them in the house, and their 
flowers will be much better the next summer. Hardy 
Roses may still be pruned, and those that are intended to 
be removed to another situation can now be moved with 
safety, as also ornamental trees and shrubs ; for transplant- 
ing this month is the best in the year, and less trimming 
will be required than if planted in the spring. The Car- 
nation family should be removed to their winter quarters 
without delay. Paeonies, Phloxes, and other perennials 
may still be removed, the sooner the better. Manure such 
beds and borders as stand in need of such food. Clear away 
all dead flower stalks, and other rubbish ; turn up your 
beds, and make this department as neat and clean as possi- 
ble for the winter. 

THE PARLOR. 

AH pot plants will require air in mild weather, for if 
they are well kept this month it will have wonderful 
effect on their health, and enable them to bear their con- 
finement through the winter with better facility. If not 
well ventilated this month they will have a sickly hue, and 
will seldom survive the month of March. Camellias will 
require attention, and must be kept clean, and be watered 
regular ; for if the roots be allowed to get dry and then 
water is applied freely, rest assured their buds will droop, 
and you will lose the beauty of their flowers for a se?.son. 
If the weather is mild never neglect to give them plenty 
of air. Hydrangeas, Crape Myrtles, Pomegranates, and 
other deciduous plants and shrubs may be placed in the 
cellar, out of the reach of frost : also Orange and Lemon 



i 



' NOVEMBER. 315 

Trees ; the two latter do not like to be kept in too damp a 
place, or their fruit will fall. Geraniums should be watered 
sparingly. Hyacinths and other bulbs intended for glasses 
may still be buried in the ground, or in tanners' bark ia 
the cellar, to form their roots. Seedling annuals intended 
to flower in the house should be placed near the window, 
to receive the benefit of sun and light. Chrysanthemums 
should be liberally supplied with water, as their flowers 
will now be in perfection. Repot Cinerarias and Chinese 
Primroses ; cease to water Gloxineas and Fuchsias. The 
Primrose family should be protected. Foxgloves and Can- 
terbury Bells, in pots, should be brought into the house, 
Avith other biennials and perennials, for early blooming. 
What was recommended last month and was not done, 
should be attended to before being nipped with the frost.- 



DECEMBER. 

It is time to presume that the work of the flower garden 
is drawing to a close for the season, and little now remains 
to be done. You may still trim Roses in mild weather, 
and remove trees and shrubs so long as the ground is fit for 
the operation : mulch them with old manure at the same 
time, which will be of great advantage, if the winter should 
be severe. Lay a protection of manure, nearly an inch 
thick, on your Tulip and Hyacinth beds. In mild weather 
manure such beds as need it, and turn them over. This 
will have a tendency to kill the cut worm ; still follow up 



316 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTUKE. 

the directions recommended last month, if not already done. 
The Carnation family will require little or no water this 
month ; particularly jthe foiiagej as there will be some 
danger of frost 

THE PARLOR. 

Chrysanthemums pagt flowering should have their flower 
stems cut off, and the plants put away until spring. Plants 
done growing should have no water given them. Begin 
to lift Hyacinths and other "bulbs buried in the ground, that 
are intended to be flowered in glasses ; wash them clean and 
be careful not to injure the root fibres ; place them in glasses 
of clean water, and change it when fcBtid. Bulbs in glasses 
should be placed so that the crown only should touch the 
water. Those in pots should also be lifted, the pots washed 
clean, and placed in saucers near the window ; those in 
glasses should also be placed near the window, and be re- 
moved to a warm part of the room at night, for if the water 
be allowed to freeze the glasses will break: attention will 
obviate this. Should any plants get frosted this month 
remove them into a dark place until the frost is drawn out, 
which is the only chance to recover them. The buds of 
the Camellia will still continue to swell, and some will 
begin to expand ; if so, give them plenty of v/ater, and 
should the moss accumulate on the soil remove it an/ 
supply the place with fresh. This will make their bud 
bwell more freely. 



BOTANICAL GLOSSARY. 



ABRUPT, leaf pinnate, with an old or terraiaal leaflet. 
ACUMINATE, having an open or awl-shaped point. 
AGGREGATE, gathered together in fascicles or bundles. 
ALTERNATE, branches, leaves, flowers, &c., starting at different 

distances on the stem. . 
ALVEOLATE, with cells, resembling the honeycomb. 
ANTHER, that part of the stamen which contains the pollen. 
APETALOUS, plants whose floral development is without petals. 
APPRESSED, when the liiub of a leaf is pressed close upon the 

stem ; or when hairs are laid flat upon the surface of a plant 

they are said to be appressed. 
ARMS, plants furnished with prickles and thorns, are said to be 

armed. 
AROMATIC, sweet scented. 
AROMA, odor, perfume, fragrance. 
ARROW- FORM, shaped like an arrow-head, hind lobes acute saggi- 

tate. 
ARTICULATED, jointed, as in the column or stem of the grass. 
ASSURGENT, rising perpendicularly, without artificial support. 
AWNS, the beard of barley is thus called. 
AXILLARY, growing out of the axile; leaves are axillary when 

they grow from the angle formed by the stem and branch. 
AXIS, a centre. 

BARREN, producing no fruit, containing stamens only. 
BIENNIAL, a plant that produces stem and leaf one year, and dies 

the next. 
BIFID, cut half in two from the summit, two-cleft. 
BILABIATE, corolla with two lips. 



318 A GtllDE TO FLCRICITLTITKE. 

BIPINNATED, twice pinnatad. 

B [TERN ATE, cut into three twice over. 

BRACT, floral leaf; a leaf near the flower, different from the other 

leaves of the plant. 
BRACTEA, small leaves between the proper leaves of the plants 

and the flower cap. 
BULBS, bulbs are buds or the winter residence of future plants; 

bulbous plants are perennials. 

CADUCOUS, falling ofl?" early, like the poppy. 

CALYX, a flower cup; in most plants it closes and supports the 
corolla. 

CAPILLARY, hair like. 

CAPITATE, growing in the form of a head. 

CAPSULE, the little chest or seed vessel which opens when the 
seeds are ripe. 

CARPEL, is a division of the fruit, each carpel forming a distinct 
cell 

CAULINE, dAveloped on the stem. 

CELLULAR, made up of cells or cavities 

CERNUOUS, when a plant grows in a nodding, drooping, or pendu- 
lous! style. 

CILIATED, eye lash haired ; \)ordered with soft paralled hairs. 

CI LI ATE, fringed with parallel hairs. 

COMOSE, applied to a flower shoot, which is terminated by barren 
bra« tea. 

COMPOUND, several things in one; the Chrysanthemum is a 
com.pound flower, so is the Dahlia, both formed of numerous 
little flowers or florets. 

CONNATE, situated opposite each other, and joined at the base. 

CORDATE, heart-shaped; according to the common notion of the 
heart. 

COROLLA, usually enclosing the stamens- 

CORYMB, a bunch of flowers when the footstalks proceed from dif- 
ferent parts of the principal axis, and attains the same height. 

CORYMROUS, farmed after the manner of a corymb. 



A BOTANICAL GLOSSARY. 319 

CRENATE, scolloped, notches on the margin of a leaf pointing to- 
wards neither apex or base. 

CRENULATE, filled with notches. 

CULM, the stem of grasses. 

CUNEATE, wedge-shaped, broad and abmpt &t the summit, and 
tapering towards the base. 

CUMBIFORM, having the form of a boat. 

DECIDUOUS, plants that shed their leaves annually. 

DECOMPOUND, leaves twice pinnated, and to a panicle when its 
branches are also panicled. 

DECUMBENT, lying down. 

DENTICULATED, being finely toothed. 

DIGITATE, a form smilar to the fingers of a man's hand. 

DIGECIOUS, when a plant bears male and female flowers individu- 
ally, in different flowers. 

DISTICHOUS, leaves of flowers placed in two opposite rows. 

DISK, the whole surface of a leaf or top of a compound flower, as 
opposite to its rays. 

ECOSTATE, without nerves or ribs. 

EDIBLE, good when used for food, esculent. 

EGLANDULOUS, without glands. 

ELLIPTIC, nearly oval, between an ellipsis and a lance shape. 

EMARGINATR, being slightly notched at the end. 

ENSIFORM, formed like a sword, as the Iris. 

ENTIRE, even and whole to the edge. 

EXOTIC, plants brought from foreign countries. 

FAMILIES, union of several genera into groups, at times synony. 

mous with natural order. 
FARINA, meal or flour; pollen is called farina. 
FASTIGIATE, tapering to a narrow point, like a pyramid. 
FERTILE, pistillate and yielding fruit. 
FIBRE, thread-like part 

FILAMENT, the slender, thread-Hke part of the stamen. 
FILIFORM, long and simple, like a thread. 
FISTULOUS, hollow or tubular. 



320 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

FLESHY, thick, pulpy. 

FLEXUOUS, having a bent or wavy direction. 
FLORET, a little flower, part of a compound flower, 
FOLIACEOUS, leafy. 

FOOT-STALK, a term used instead of peduncle and petiole. 
FRLA-BLE, easily crumbled, or reduced to a powder, 
FRUCTIFICATION, the act of causing fruit, theory of germi- 
nation. 
FUNICLE, the stalk which connects the ovule to the ovary. 
FUSIFORM, radish or carrot shaped. 

GENERA, a family of plants agreeing in their flower and fruit. 
GERM, the lower part of the pistil, afterwards the fruit. 
GERMINATION, the swelling of seed, and the unfolding of its 

embryo. 
GRANDIFLORA, having large flowers. 
GLABROUS, smooth. 

GLANDULOUS, having small glands on the surface. 
GLAUCOUS, smooth, of a sea-green color. 
GLABOSE, round or spherical like the orange. 
GLUME, a part of the floral envelopes of grass. 

HASTATE, formed like the head of the ancient halbert, 

HERB, a plant without a woody stem. 

HERBACEOUS, plants not woody. 

HERBAGE, every part of a plant, except the root and fructificatious 

part. 
HISPID, when the spines on the surface of the leaf are not very 

visible to the naked eye. 
HOARY, covered over with white down. 
HYBRID, a vegetable production, by the mixture of two species ; 

seeds of hybrid plants are not fertile. 

IMBRICATED, lying over, like shingles of a roof. 

IMPERFECT, wanting the stamens or pistils. 

INDIGENOUS, native, growing wild in a country. 

INFLEX, or INCURVED, folding inwards. 

INVOLUCRE, where the bractese, or floral leaves, are set in a v/horl. 



A BOTANICAL GLOSSARY. 321 

INVOLUTE, a term applied to leaves, when rolled inward. 
INTEGUMENT, a covering, an envelop. 

JAGGED, irregularity, divided and subdivided. 
JOINTS, knots or rings in culms, pods, leaves, <fec. 

LANCEOLATE, spear-shape, narrow, with both ends acute. 
LEAFLET, a partial leaf, part of a compound leaf. 
LEAF-STALK, petiole. 
LEGUME, a pod ; applied to the fruit of leguminous plants, such as 

the Pea. 
LILIACEOUS, corolla, with six petals starting from the base. 
LINEAR, narrow, with parallel sides, as in most grasses. 
LIP, the under petal in a labiate corolla. 
LOBE, large division, or distinct portion of a leaf or petal. 
LUNATEj crescent-shaped, like a half moon. 

LYRATE, lyre-shaped ; cut into many transverse segments, larger 
extremity of the leaf, which is rounded. 

MEMBRANOUS, in texture like a membrane, soft and supple. 
MULTIFID, cut into three, four, five, or more narrow divisions. 
MULTIFLOROUS, many flowered. 
MURICATED, covered with sharp points. 

NARCOTIC, having the power of producing sleep, as Opium. 
NECTARY, that part of a flower which produces the honey. 

OBOVATE, egg-shaped, with the narrow end towards the stem, or 
place of insertion. 

OBTUSE, blunt, rounded, not acute, 

OFFICINALIS, such plants as are kept for sale, as medicines, 
esculent herbs, &c. 

OPPOSITE, standing against each other on apposite sides of the 
stem. 

OVAL, having the figure of an ellipse. 

OVARY, that portion of the pistil which contains the ovicles, 

OVATE, shaped like an egg cut lengthwise. 

OVULES, little eggs; the rudiments of fruit or seed before its fer- 
tilization. 



322 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

PALMATED, cut into oblong segments, resembling a hand. 
PANICLE, a loose, irregular bunch of flowers with subdivided 

branches. 
PANDURIFORM, fiddle-shaped, oblong at the extremities, and 

small in the middle, 
PAPPUS, the down of seeds, as in the Dandelion and Thistle, a 

feathery appendage. 
PARTITION, the membrane which divides pericarps into cells, 

called the desseximent. 
PARTED, deeply divided; more than cleft. 
PECTINATE, resembling the teeth of a comb, between fimbriated 

and pinnatifid. 
PEDICLE, the footstalk which supports a single flov/er. 
PEDUNCLE, the common flower stalk, developed in the axil of a 

non-radical leaf. 
PENDENT, hanging down, pendulous. 
PERENNIAL, lasting many years without perishing. 
PERICARP, the vessel which contains the seed. 
PERSISTENT, not falling ofF, permanent. 
PETALS, the division of the corolla. 
PETIOLE, the footstalk of the leaf. 
PINNATE, a leaf is pinnate when the leaflets are arranged in two 

rows on the side of a common petiole, as in the Rose. 
PINNATIF'ID, cut in a pinnate manner; a simple leaf deeply 

parted. 
PISTIL, the central organ of most flowers, consisting of germ, 

style, and stigma, 
PISTILLATE, having pistils but no stamens. 
PITH, the spongy substance in the centre of the stem and roots. 
POD, dry seed-vessel, not pulpy, commonly applied to legumes and 

siliques. 
POLYANDROUS, having many stamens inserted upon the recep* 

tacle. 
POLYGAMOUS, having some flowers perfect, and others with 

stamens only, or pistils only. 
POLYMORPHOUS, changing, assuming many forms. 
POLYPETALOUS, having many petals. 



A BOTANICAL GLOSSARY. 323 

PRATENSIS, growing in meadow lands. 

PUBESCENT, covered with soft silky hairs. 

PULP, the juicy, cellular substance of berries and other fruit. 

PUNGENT, stinging or pricking. 

RACEMES, when flowers are arranged round a filiform simple axis; 

each particular flower being stalked. 
RADIATE, the Ungulate florets around the margin of a compound 

flower. 
RADICLE, a terra applied to leaves proceeding immediately from 

the root, as in the Daisy; also the minute fibres of a root. 
RAMIFEROUS, producing bunches. 
RAMOSE, branching. 
RAMUS, a branch. 

RAY, the outer margin of compound flowers. 
RECEPTACLE, the end of a flower stalk : the base of which the 

diSerent parts of fructification are usually attached. 
REFLEXED, bent backwards. 

RETICULATED, having the appearance of net work. 
RETUSE, abruptly blunt at the end. 
RINGENT, gaping. 
RUGOSE, rough, or coarsely wrinkled. 

SAGITATE, shaped like an arrow head; triangular and very 
much hollowed at the base. 

SCAPE, a stalk which springs from the root, and supports the flow- 
ers and fruit, without leaves. 

SCALES, any small development resembling minute leaves ; also the 
leaves of the involucre of compound flowers. 

SEPAL, leaves or division of the calyx. 

SERRATED, edged with teeth like those of a saw. 

SESSILE, said of leaves seated on the stem, without foot stalks. 

SETACEOUS, bearing some resemblance to the form of a bristle. 

SILICLE, the small round pod of cruciform flowers. 

SINUATE, undulating, or wavy. 

SPADIX, flower stalk developed in a spatha. 

SPATHA, a simple floral leaf, enclosing the whole inflorescence. 



324 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 

SPATULA.TE, large, obtuse at the end, tapering into the stalk at 

the base. 
SPECIFIC, belonging to a species only. 
SPIKE, a flower so called; seated upon a long rochis. 
SPINDLE-SHAPED, thick at top, fusiform. 
SPINOUS, full of prickles. 
STAMEN, the male organ of a flower. 
STAMINATE, having a stamen without pistils. 
STELLATE, like a star. 
STIGMA, the female organ of a flower. 
STIPULE, a leafy appendage at the base of petioles, or leaves. 
STYLE, the part of the pistil between the stigma and the germ, 
STRLS, small streaks, channels or furrows. 
SUBULATE, awl-shaped, narrow, and sharp pointed. 
SUCCULENT, juicy : also a pulpy leaf, juicy or not. 

TANNIN, an astringent principle of plants, &c. 

TENDRIL, a filiform or thread-like appendage of a climbing plant. 

TERMINAL, ending, or at the top. 

TERN ATE, consisting of three leaflets. 

TISSUE, thin fabric or envelop composed of, or interwoven with 

small fibres. 
TOPICAL, local, confined to a place. 
TOOTHED, cut so as to resemble teeth. 
TRIFID, cut into three. 
TUBER, a solid fleshy knob. 

TUBEROUS, thick and fleshy, containing tubers as the Dahlia. 
TUMID, swelling. 

UMBELS, the round tuft of flowers, as produced by the Carrot. 
UNARMED, opposed to spinous; free from prickles. 
UNILATERAL, when the leaves are all turned one way, and aro 
all on one side. 

VARIETY, subdivision of species, distinguished by characters not 
permanent. 



A BOTANICAL GLOSSARY. 325 

VALVES, parts of seed-vessels into which they are separated ; the 

leaves which form a glume or spatha. 
VENTRICOSE, inflated. 
VESICULAR, composed of vessels. 
VERTICILLATE, whorled, heavy leaves, or flowers, in a circle 

round the stem. 
VILLOUS, closely covered with long hairs, so as almost to hide the 

surface. 
VIROSE, nauseous to the smell, poisonous. 
VISCID, thick, glutinous, covered with adhesive moisture. 

"WINGS, two side petals of a papilionaceous flower. 

WHORLS, where many parts are set round an axis in the same place. 



INDEX 



Candytuft, 90 

Canterbury Bell, 80 

Cardinal Flower, 96 

Carnation.^ 97 

Carolina Pink, 106 

Catchfly silene angelica, . ... ,63 

'' lobels, 6» 

Centurea, . 77 

China Aster, . . . o 77 

China Pink,... = 103 

China Primrose, 91 

Chrysanthemum, Chinese, . . .85 

Chrysanthemum, Ox Eye, 93 

" Golden Corn- 
flower, 93 

Chrysanthemum, tricolor, ... .93 

Cineraria, /. 71 

Clematis flammula, 71 

" florida, .....71 

" seibaldii, 70 

Cobaea scandens 74 

Coffee Tree 68 

Columbine, 95 

Cowslip, 214 

Crape Myrtle, 79 

Crocus, 88 

Crown Imperial, 81 

Cuckoo-flower, 73 

Cuttings 27 

Dahlia 108 

Dandelion, 115 

December, calendar for, 315 

Double Daisy, , 107 

Faireye, 117 

February, calendar for, 287 

Forget-me-not. 1 20 



Achemenes 50 

Acacia thispeda 57 

" japhante, 58 

" oxycedorus, 59 

" saligna, 58 

Agapanthus, 45 

Agerathum, :...... 46 

Amarauthus globe, 43 

" melancholis, .... 42 

" tricolor, 43 

American Cowslip, 41 

Anemone coronaria, 47 

" hortensis, 47 

Annuals, .10 

April, calendar for, 292 

Argemone, 44 

Asters 44 

August, calendar for, 305 

Auricula, 53 

A/alia pulchra, .52 

Balsam I fulva, 62 

" " noli-me-tangere 61 

" " pallida 62 

Beautiful Clarkia, 65 

Beautiful Nemophila, 59 

Biennials, 11 

Bindweed C. arvensis, 60 

" " major, 69 

" " minor, 61 

Botanical Glossary, 317 

Box, Dutch, 65 

" Tree, 66 

Budding, 30 

Cactus, 75 

Calla Ethiopica, 67 

Calceolaria, 83 

Campanula persicifolia, 94 | Foxglove, 118 



INDEX. 



Fuchsia 122 

Gardening, 15 

Garden Pink, 125 

General treatment of plants, . . 35 

Geranium, 129 

Gladiolus byzanthus, 132 

" cardinalis, 13.^ 

" communis, 132 

" floribundis, 133 

Gloxinia 133 

Heliotrope, 139 

Hibiscus, African, 138 

Hollyhock, 136 

Honeysuckle, 143 

Hot-bed, 14 

Hyacinth, 146 

Hyacinthine, 144 

Hybridizing, 37 

Hydrangea, 140 

Ice Plant, 153 

Indian Cress T. azureum, ... 156 

II II u major, 155 

" " " minor, 155 

lak for Zinc Labels, 1 54 

Iporncea coccina, 157 

'* grandiflora, 158 

" learii, 158 

Ismene Amancass, 150 

Iris persica, 151 

" xephium, 1 53 

" susiana, 151 

Jacobean Lily, 159 

January, calendar for, 285 

Japan Lily, 166 

Japan Rose, 161 

Jasmine grandiflora, 167 

" officinale, 167 

June, calendar for, 298 

July, " 302 

Laurestinus, 176 

Lavender, 169 

Leaf, growing from, 283 



Lemon scented Verbena,. . . . 174 

Lemon Tree, 176 

Lily 173 

Lily of the Valley, 172 

London Pride, 176 

Lupin, 171 

Management of Plants in the 

parlor, 278 

Manuring, 24 

March, calendar for, 289 

Martynia fragrans, 181 

Marvel of Peru, 185 

May, calendar for, 295 

Marigold chrysanthemum, . . 188 

" grandiflora, 187 

" officinalis, 188 

** pluvialis, 189 

" viscosa, 188 

Mesembryanthemum, 184 

Mignionette, 182 

Moccasin Plant, 177 

Monkey flower, 186 

Monk's Hood napellus, 190 

" venustum, 191 

" pyramidal, 191 

" versicolor, 191 

Myrtle communis, 179 

" tomentosa 179 

" lucalia pinciana, .... 180 

Narcissus daffodil, 194 

" grand primo citro- 

nienne,, ..... ..193 

" jonquil, 194 

" orientalis, 193 

" poeticus, 195 

" pseudo, 194 

" tazetta 193 

November, calendar for, .... 312 

October, calendar for, 310 

Oleander, 197 

Orange Tree, 199 

Oxlip, 214 

Pseony whitlegii, 218 



INDEX. 



Fteony fragrans, . 217 

" humeii, 217 

" M. banksia, 220 

" M. papavera, 220 

Pansy, 209 

Passion Flower actinia, 204 

•» coerulea, 204 

*' middletoniana,204 

" kermesina, . . . 204 

Perennials, 12 

Petunia 220 

Pheasant's Eye, .200 

Plilox, 216 

Pimpernel arvensis, 205 

"- coerulea, 206 

" fruiticosa, 206 

latifolia, 207 

monelli, 207 

tenella, 207 

Plants 10 

Polyanthus, 222 

Pomegranate, 208 

Potting, 24 

Portulaca thellasoni, 202 

"• gelesii, 202 

Primrose Family, 213 

Pyramidal Bell-flower, 225 

Ranunculus, 241 

Ragged Robin, 240 

Rocket Larkspur, 227 

Rose, 228 

*' Tree, 237 

" Bay 239 



Rose Campion, 226 

Scarlet Lychnis, 253 

Scarlet Valerian, 247 

Schizanthus, 244 

Seed Sowing, 17 

Select list of plants for parlor 

culture, 282 

September, 307 

Side Saddle, 254 

Snap Dragon, 252 

Snow Drop, 248 

Star of Bethlehem, 246 

St. John's Wort, 250 

Sunflower, ; . . 25 1 

Sweet Pea, 253 

Sweet William, 249 

Tassel Flower, 269 

Tea, 260 

Ten Week Stock, 256 

Tiger Flower, 262 

Transplanting, 22 

Tuberose, 259 

Tulip, 264 

Variegated Euphorbia, 270 

Velvet Cockscomb, 270 

Verbena, 271 

Wall Flower, 275 

Wash to destroy insects 277 

White Lily, ....272 

Winged Ammobium, 272 



I 



i 



I 



BOOKS ON AGRICULTURE, GARDENING, &C. 

FOR SALE BY 

DERBY, BRADLEY & CO., 

BOOKSELLERS AND PUBLISHERS, 
.113 Main Street, 

CmOINNATI, O. 



DOWNING'S FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES OF AMERICA, 

I vol. 12mo. 
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DOWNING'S LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND RURAL 

ARCHITECTURE, 1 vol. 8vo. 
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BUIST'S AMERICAN FLOWER GARDEN DIRECTORY, 

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FARMER'S DICTIONARY, By Gardner, 1 thick 12mo. 
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THE TREES OF AMERICA, NATIVE AND FOREIGN, By 
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CATALOGUE OF BOOKS. 

A REPORT ON THE TREES AND SHRUBS OF MASSA- 
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KENDRICK'S NEW AMERICAN ORCHARDIST, 1 vol. 12mo. 

THOMAS' FRUIT CULTURIST, one vol. 18mo. 

TliE FARMER'S COMPANION; or Essays on the Principles and 
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sixth edition 1 vol. 12 mo. 

THE FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA ; arranged according to the 
Natural System, by Jno. Torrey, and Asa Gray, I vol. 8vo. 

A DICTIONARY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND MINES, 
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by Andrew Ure, with a supplement containing recent im- 
provements, 2 vol. 8 vo. 

A CYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL RECEIPTS, and collateral 
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A. J. Cooley, 1 vol. 8 vo. 

JOURNAL OF BOTANY, being a second series of the Botanical 
Miscellany; containing figures and descriptions of such 
plants as recommend themselves by their novelty, rarity, or 
history, or by tlie uses to which they are applied in the Arts, 
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LAW BOOKS. 

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S. S, JACKSON, 

:iS[TTKS3SB.XMA]Xr AnXTB a?xeB.xsT 

Three miles below Cincinnati, Ohioi, 
Begs to inform his Friends and the Public generally that h« 
KEEPS FOR SALE 

Raspberries, Evergreens, 
Ornamental Trees and Shrubs^ 

GREEN HOUSE AND HOT HOUSE 

PLANTS, 

®IUILIB§ AMID ^miBI^E^, 

HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS, 
And 300 Varieties of the 

®i2®asg8ir MB mms^m ie®§[|@<. 

All Trees, Plants, &c., delivered in Cincinnati, FREE OF 
CHARGE, and packed so as to carry safely to any part of the 
country. 

Having no Agent in Cincinnati, all orders directed to S. S. JACK- 
SON, Nurseryman and Florist, Cincinnati, Ohio, will be promptly 
attended to. 

The Omnibus runs past the Nursery three times a day. 

Refer to R. BUCHANAN, Esq., and JACOB STRADER, Esq. 



SPRING GARDEiN NURSERY. 

A. H. ERNST, 

flfear Cincinnati. 

The Proprietor of this extensive establishment respectfully invites 
the public attention to his assortment of Trees, Slirubs, &c., with 
every assurance that no expense has been spared to make his selec- 
tion one of the best in the Western country, embracing 

APPLES, APPvICOTS, 
PEARS, PEACHES, QUINCES, 
CherrieSj Plums, Nectarines, 

Also, Grape Vines, Currants, Gooseberries, Raspberries, and 
Strawberries, all of the most approved kinds. His shrubberies 
embrace fine shade Trees, for side walks and lawns, and his Ever- 
greens consist of 

Red Cedar, Balsam Fir, Swedish Juniper 

White Cedar, Norway Spruce, Willow, 

American Arbor Vitas, White Pine. Box, 

Chinese do Yellow Pine, Hemlock, &-c. 

Not having any Agent in the city, the Proprietor solicits persont 
wishing to purchase to visit his establishment, being confident more 
satisfaction would be given than those sold in the city, as his trees 
and shrubs are healthy, and of vigorous growth. To those persons 
at a distance, or others, can address him through the Post Office; 
and every pains will be taken to render satisfaction, and their pack- 
ages will be shipped, or sent to any part of the city. 

A, H. ERNST, Proprietor. 

OMNIBUSES run constantly from the public landing to within 
a few hundred yards of Spring Garden. 



